The book is quite informative concerning the actual events of the conflict,
and contains some good analysis for people who are not entirely familiar
with the context of Quebec-Canadian-Mohawk relations in contemporary society.
I must also caution any reader that the authors of this report are extremely
biased toward a particular group of individuals because of personal reasons.
Do not take seriously any of the description concerning "warriors" personality
or motivations given for any of their actions. In addition, much of the non-
historical content of the book is nothing more than post-facto justification
for a lot of nasty deeds committed by a small group of people (many of them
not even Mohawk themselves) in the name of Mohawk sovereignty.
I know personally just about everyone mentioned in the book, and was an
advisor to the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake throughout the crisis, so you
can take my evaluation for what its worth.
Despite the criticism I obviously have for the authors' ideology and bias
toward the warriors, I am myself using the text in a section I am teaching
here at Cornell dealing with contemporary Mohawk politics. I would really
like to discuss this book with anyone who has read it or is considering
spending the time to learn more about this situation.
The book is:
THE PEOPLE OF THE PINES: THE WARRIORS AND THE LEGACY OF OKA
Geoffrey York and Loreen Pindera
Little, Brown & Co. (Toronto, 1991)
$29.95 (CAN)
Skennen,
Gerald Alfred [MEKX@vax5.cit.cornell.edu]