Mohawk Community leader Joe Norton keeping the peace © Linda Dawn Hammond 1990 Oka17_33
Community leader Joe Norton keeping the peace. Post teargassing on bridge, the Stand-off on the Island. The media had shown up at this point. Note white line to separate the army and Mohawks. Army Invasion and teargassing of Kahnawake, a Canadian Mohawk reserve in Quebec. Sept.18, 1990. Photo © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com '90
On September 18th, the Canadian army invaded the Kahnawake reservation in a surprise attack. Ostensibly looking for guns in a clubhouse located on small Tekakwitha Island, dozens of men were deployed by Chinook helicopters. On the bridge, unarmed Mohawks confronted the army soldiers, who emerged from their helicopter wearing tear gas masks and immediately began firing volleys of chemicals at the civilians, both men and women, some of whom fell off into the water and were injured. In response, some young men began throwing stones at the soldiers. In the virtual absence of media (I and a TV cameraman, there entirely by chance, were originally the sole media present), soldiers gun butted several Mohawk youths. More army men and civilian Mohawks of all ages and sexes converged on the Island, to face each other in what was a tense stand-off, fortunately defused by some astute, diplomatic Mohawk leaders who eventually managed to calm things down.
As more media and soldiers arrived, the Mohawks regrouped in another location and tensions began to escalate once more. Shots were fired and some natives managed to get hold of a couple of the army men and exact revenge through severe beatings. No-one really understood the justification for the original invasion, but army personnel were later seen emerging from the clubhouse holding one dismantled rifle and (according to a Mohawk who may have embellished the story) several cases of beer, which were allegedly loaded on the helicopter. The military claimed to have seized 47 weapons but as this is a hunting community, even if this were the case, it was not necessarily cause for a confrontation of this magnitude.
Photo © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com '90
Photographs and text by Linda Dawn Hammond
Behind The Barricades: OKA
BOOKS
2015 "HerStory 2015", (Coteau Books, Saskatoon Women’s Calendar Collective). Photo of Jenny Jacks, First Nations activist at Oka, from “Behind the Barricades” series.
2010 "Incident at Oka" (D&M Publishers), 1 photograph from Behind the Barricades: OKA " Jenny Jacks", Author: Harry Swain
2001 The Women's Daybook 2002, 'Women and Food' (Sumach Press), 1 Photograph and text by Linda Dawn Hammond: Behind The Barricades: OKA
1994 Semiotext(e) canadas (Columbia University Press)
Back cover Photograph and 3 within by Linda Dawn Hammond: Behind The Barricades: OKA
1991 The Possessed Individual: Technology and the French
Postmodern (New World Perspectives)
Author: Arthur Kroker
Photography by Linda Dawn Hammond: 2 from Three Part Bodyseries , 4 photographs from Behind the Barricades: OKA
www.scribd.com/doc/7426491/The-Possessed-Individual
EXHIBITIONS
May, 2017
Collège La Cite à Toronto
Exhibit and auction for MSF
Photos Sans Frontières
Solo exhibit entitled,
Derrière les barricades: OKA- Behind the Barricades: OKA,
6 photographs on exhibit, 3 additional in auction for MSF
June - Aug 2005
Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK
Group exhibit entitled, The American West
Behind the Barricades: OKA, 6 photographs,
REVIEW
www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/find-things-to-do/a-pio...
Oct 2004
Photopolis, Halifax Festival of Photography
Group exhibit entitled, Documents and Dreams: A Group Exhibit of Canadian Documentary Photography
Organized by Narrative 360 At ViewPoint Gallery, Oct.7, 04 - Oct. 31, 04, "Mohawk Child at West Gate Barricade" Giclee print (dim. 36" by 56")
Nov 2003
Bfly Atelier, Vancouver
Group exhibit entitled, Documents and Dreams: A Group Exhibit of Canadian Documentary Photography
Organized by Narrative 360 At Bfly Atelier, Nov.13, 03 - Nov. 25, 03, "Mohawk Child at West Gate Barricade" Giclee print (dim. 36" by 56")
2000
Les Vivres, Montreal
Solo exhibit entitled, "Hot July: Oka and Sexgarage"
Behind the Barricades: OKA, and Sexgarage: Serve and Protect - Silver prints, (dim. 8" by 10", 11" by 14"),
Quickprint/ Mylars (dim. 3' by 5'),
REVIEW
www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2000/071300/art1.html
Nov 90
Union Francaise, Montréal
Benefit for the Mohawk Defense Fund, Solo exhibit entitled,Behind the Barricades- Oka:
28 B&W documentary photographs (dim. 11" by14")
Oct 90
Le Festival du Nouveau Cinema et de
la Video, Montréal
Solo exhibit entitled,Behind the Barricades- Oka:
28 B&W documentary photographs (dim. 11" by14")
negotiateSM
Mohawk Community leader Joe Norton keeping the peace © Linda Dawn Hammond 1990 Oka17_33
Community leader Joe Norton keeping the peace. Post teargassing on bridge, the Stand-off on the Island. The media had shown up at this point. Note white line to separate the army and Mohawks. Army Invasion and teargassing of Kahnawake, a Canadian Mohawk reserve in Quebec. Sept.18, 1990. Photo © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com '90
On September 18th, the Canadian army invaded the Kahnawake reservation in a surprise attack. Ostensibly looking for guns in a clubhouse located on small Tekakwitha Island, dozens of men were deployed by Chinook helicopters. On the bridge, unarmed Mohawks confronted the army soldiers, who emerged from their helicopter wearing tear gas masks and immediately began firing volleys of chemicals at the civilians, both men and women, some of whom fell off into the water and were injured. In response, some young men began throwing stones at the soldiers. In the virtual absence of media (I and a TV cameraman, there entirely by chance, were originally the sole media present), soldiers gun butted several Mohawk youths. More army men and civilian Mohawks of all ages and sexes converged on the Island, to face each other in what was a tense stand-off, fortunately defused by some astute, diplomatic Mohawk leaders who eventually managed to calm things down.
As more media and soldiers arrived, the Mohawks regrouped in another location and tensions began to escalate once more. Shots were fired and some natives managed to get hold of a couple of the army men and exact revenge through severe beatings. No-one really understood the justification for the original invasion, but army personnel were later seen emerging from the clubhouse holding one dismantled rifle and (according to a Mohawk who may have embellished the story) several cases of beer, which were allegedly loaded on the helicopter. The military claimed to have seized 47 weapons but as this is a hunting community, even if this were the case, it was not necessarily cause for a confrontation of this magnitude.
Photo © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com '90
Photographs and text by Linda Dawn Hammond
Behind The Barricades: OKA
BOOKS
2015 "HerStory 2015", (Coteau Books, Saskatoon Women’s Calendar Collective). Photo of Jenny Jacks, First Nations activist at Oka, from “Behind the Barricades” series.
2010 "Incident at Oka" (D&M Publishers), 1 photograph from Behind the Barricades: OKA " Jenny Jacks", Author: Harry Swain
2001 The Women's Daybook 2002, 'Women and Food' (Sumach Press), 1 Photograph and text by Linda Dawn Hammond: Behind The Barricades: OKA
1994 Semiotext(e) canadas (Columbia University Press)
Back cover Photograph and 3 within by Linda Dawn Hammond: Behind The Barricades: OKA
1991 The Possessed Individual: Technology and the French
Postmodern (New World Perspectives)
Author: Arthur Kroker
Photography by Linda Dawn Hammond: 2 from Three Part Bodyseries , 4 photographs from Behind the Barricades: OKA
www.scribd.com/doc/7426491/The-Possessed-Individual
EXHIBITIONS
May, 2017
Collège La Cite à Toronto
Exhibit and auction for MSF
Photos Sans Frontières
Solo exhibit entitled,
Derrière les barricades: OKA- Behind the Barricades: OKA,
6 photographs on exhibit, 3 additional in auction for MSF
June - Aug 2005
Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK
Group exhibit entitled, The American West
Behind the Barricades: OKA, 6 photographs,
REVIEW
www.birminghampost.co.uk/whats-on/find-things-to-do/a-pio...
Oct 2004
Photopolis, Halifax Festival of Photography
Group exhibit entitled, Documents and Dreams: A Group Exhibit of Canadian Documentary Photography
Organized by Narrative 360 At ViewPoint Gallery, Oct.7, 04 - Oct. 31, 04, "Mohawk Child at West Gate Barricade" Giclee print (dim. 36" by 56")
Nov 2003
Bfly Atelier, Vancouver
Group exhibit entitled, Documents and Dreams: A Group Exhibit of Canadian Documentary Photography
Organized by Narrative 360 At Bfly Atelier, Nov.13, 03 - Nov. 25, 03, "Mohawk Child at West Gate Barricade" Giclee print (dim. 36" by 56")
2000
Les Vivres, Montreal
Solo exhibit entitled, "Hot July: Oka and Sexgarage"
Behind the Barricades: OKA, and Sexgarage: Serve and Protect - Silver prints, (dim. 8" by 10", 11" by 14"),
Quickprint/ Mylars (dim. 3' by 5'),
REVIEW
www.montrealmirror.com/ARCHIVES/2000/071300/art1.html
Nov 90
Union Francaise, Montréal
Benefit for the Mohawk Defense Fund, Solo exhibit entitled,Behind the Barricades- Oka:
28 B&W documentary photographs (dim. 11" by14")
Oct 90
Le Festival du Nouveau Cinema et de
la Video, Montréal
Solo exhibit entitled,Behind the Barricades- Oka:
28 B&W documentary photographs (dim. 11" by14")
negotiateSM