Canadian Military History Volume 2 Issue 1 Article 3 1993 L’intervention militaire à Oka: stratégie, communication et couverture de la presse Claude Beauregard Directorate of Heritage and History, Department of National Defence Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Beauregard, Claude "L’intervention militaire à Oka: stratégie, communication et couverture de la presse." Canadian Military History 2, 1 (1993) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Beauregard: L’intervention militaire à Oka: stratégie, communication et couve L'inteiVention• The Military milita1re InteiVention iOka inOka strategie, communication Strategy, Communication et couverture de Ia presse and Press Coverage Claude Beauregard translated by Graham Timms L'image qui allait devenir le symbole du conflit d'Oka. The picture that would become the symbol of the Oka Le soldat Patrick Cloutier dans unjace aface avec un conflict. Private Patrick Cloutier in a starring match with Warriors qui plus tardjut identifie comme etant Brad a Warrior later identified as Brad Larocque ofSaskatch­ Larocque de Saskatchewan. ewan. (S. Komulainen, Canapress Photo Service) 23 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1993 1 Canadian Military History, Vol. 2 [1993], Iss. 1, Art. 3 Introduction Introduction es evenements qui se sont deroules a Oka he incidents which occurred in Oka during L au cours de l'ete 1990 representent T the summer of 1990 represent the outcome l'aboutissement d'une situation jugee of a situation judged to have been totally totalement inacceptable par la communaute unacceptable by the Mohawk community. What Mohawk. Ce qui devait etre a l'origine was originally to have been the enlargement of l'agrandissement d'un terrain de golf, a a golf course provoked a conflict which ended provoque un conflit qui s'est solde par la in the death of a police officer of the Surete du mort d'un agent de police de la Surete du Quebec and the intervention of the Canadian Quebec et par !'intervention des Forces Armed Forces; in short, the Oka crisis became canadiennes; bref, la crise d'Oka est devenue a national crisis. une crise nationale. Even if the initial cause of the affair is Meme si !'element declencheur est sim­ simple to understand, the situation in Oka ple a com prendre, la situation a Oka demeure remains very complex. In fact, an examination tres complexe. En effet, l'etude du conflit of the conflict shows that the Mohawk permet de constater que la communaute community was strongly divided, that Mohawk est fortement divisee, que les governments were not in a position to react gouvernements n'ont pas ete en position effectively and that there was a rise in d'agir efficacement et qu'il y a eu une mantee intolerance amongst the local population. de !'intolerance au sein de la population locale. The most spectacular incident of this conflagration was certainly the intervention by L' evenement le plus spectaculaire de cette a brigade of the Canadian Armed Forces. The conflagration est certainement !'intervention strategy employed by the Army was, as stated d'une brigade des Forces canadiennes. La in the media, exemplary. In fact, contrary to strategic employee par l'Armee fut, au dire what was expected, the military adopted a des medias, exemplaire. Effectivement, et policy of openness to journalists and used a ce, contre toute attente, les militaires ont minimum of force in regards to the Mohawks. adopte une politique d'ouverture face aux journalistes et ont utilise de la force mini­ This article will study in greater depth the mum envers les Mohawks. aspects of the military strategy during Operation "Salon" 1 as well as the resulting press coverage. Nous nous proposons, dans le cadre du present article, d'etudier plus en profondeur ces deux aspects de la strategic militaire lors de !'Operation "Salon"l et la couverture de I. Overview of the Precursors presse qui en a decoulee. efore starting, it is of utmost importance Bto understand that the military I. Rappel des evenements intervention within the framework of the Oka conflict was the outcome of a situation which vant de debuter, il importe de bien com­ deteriorated over a number of years. In the A prendre que !'intervention militaire dans Fifth Report of the Standing Committee on le cadre du conflit d'Oka represente Native Affairs, presented in May 1991 under l'aboutissement d'une situation qui s'est the title The Summer of 1990,2 the analysis deterioree au fil des ans. Dans le cinquieme begins by presenting certain historical facts rapport du comite permanent des affaires which date to the end of the 19th Century! It autochtones, presente en mai 1991 etintitule can be seen that the conflict goes back a long 2 L' ete de 1990, on amorce !'analyse en way. presentant certains faits historiques qui 24 https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol2/iss1/3 2 Beauregard: L’intervention militaire à Oka: stratégie, communication et couve remontent ala fin du XIXe siecle! C'est dire The year 1987 seems to be the starting que le conflit ne date pas d'hier. point of the Oka crisis. In fact, it was in March of that year that le Club de golf Oka Inc., L'annee 1987 semble etre le point de attempted to renew the lease on its nine hole depart de la crise d'Oka. En effet, c'est en golf course. However, the inhabitants of mars que le Club de golf Oka Inc. tente de Kanesatake opposed the renewal and held that renouveler le bail de son terrain de golf de the land belonged to them. In May of 1988, the neuf trous. Or les habitants de Kanesatake golf club proposed the enlargement of the s'opposent au renouvellement et soutiennent course from 9 to 18 holes. In June of the que les terres leur appartiennent. En mai following year, an agreement was reached 1988, le club de golf propose a la ville between the municipality and the golf course d'agrandir le terrain de golf de 9 a 18 trous. in regards to the location and expansion of the En juin de l'annee suivante, une entente est golf course. On March 10, 1990, the municipal conclue entre la municipalite et le club de council suspended the moratorium on the golf au regard de la location et de !'expansion enlargement of the golf course and the Mohawks du terrain de golf. Le 10 mars 1990, le erected barricades to prevent the clearing of a conseil municipal suspend le moratoire sur section of the forest. Shortly thereafter, l'agrandissement du terrain de golf, et les members of the Warriors' Society took control Mohawks erigent des barricades afin of the barricades. Between the 2nd and 6th of d'empecher le deboisement d'une partie de la July, the municipality and the Minister of foret. Un peu plus tard, des membres de la Public Security called upon the Mohawks to societe des Warriors prennent le contr6le des dismantle the barricades. On the lOth of July, barricades. Entre le 2 et le 6 juillet, Ia the municipal council of Oka sought the municipalite et le ministre de la Securite interventionofthe Suretedu Quebec (SQ). The publique demandent aux Mohawks de SQ decided to intervene the next day and the demanteler les barricades. Le 10 juillet, le assault on the barricades ended in the death of Conseil municipal d'Oka sollicite Corporal Lemay. 3 Meanwhile, in a gesture of !'intervention de la Surete du Quebec. Cette solidarity, Mohawks from the Kahnawake derniere decide d'intervenir le lendemain, et reserve, on the south shore of the St. Lawrence I' assault aux barricades se solde par la mort River, erected barricades which blocked access du caporal Lemay.s C'est alors que, dans un to the Mercier bridge. geste de solidarite, les Mohawks de la reserve de Kahnawake, sur la rive sud duSt-Laurent, On August 6, a request for assistance was erigent des barricades et bloquent l'acces au made to the Canadian Armed Forces by the pont Mercier. Minister for Public Security and the Attorney General of Quebec, Mr. Sam Elkas, as outlined Le 6 aout 1990, une demande d'aide des in the National Defence Act. In fact, at the Forces canadiennes est formulee, beginning ofthe crisis, military assistance was conformement a la Loi sur la defense limited to technical aid and loans of equipment. nationale, par le ministre de la Securite However, the Surete du Quebec was rapidly publique et procureur general du Quebec, M. overcome by the events and the Army had to Sam Elkas. En effet, au debut de la crise, take charge of the operation. l'aide militaire se limitait a une assistance technique eta des prets d'equipement. Mais la Surete du Quebec sera rapidement depassee par les evenements, et l'Armee devra II. The Military Intervention prendre en charge les operations. A. The National Defence Act he military intervention in Oka drew its T inspiration from Section XI ofthe National Defence Act, entitled "Aid of the Civil Power." The articles in question are 232 to 242 of the Act. 4 25 Published by Scholars Commons @ Laurier, 1993 3 Canadian Military History, Vol. 2 [1993], Iss. 1, Art. 3 II. L'intervention militaire The Act stipulates that a written request A. La Loi sur la dtifense nationale from the Attorney General of the province in which a riot or violation of the peace occurs 'intervention militaire a Oka s'est inspiree must be made to the Chief of Staff of the L de la partie XI de la Loi sur la defense Canadian Armed Forces.