In the documentary The Oka Legacy they were talking about how being tied to a culture can hurt you, but at the same time can make you stronger as a community. On July 11- September 26, 1990 there was a 78 day standoff between the Mohawk protesters, the police, and the army. This occurred because they wanted to expand a golf course and make it 18 holes. This expansion would go onto what the Mohawk believed to be an ancient burial ground. This debate between the Mohawk and the police created an example for the rest of Canada that being in a culture can hurt you and benefit you at the same time.
During the Oka crisis, the Mohawk people united to defend what they believed to be an ancient burial ground. Being tied to their culture and their land created some consequences as 1 Mohawk elder was killed, 100 charged, and 75+ were injured. They didn’t have to be hurt but they were tied to a culture that they strongly believed in. This hurt them as a culture and as a community. The Oka crisis did also help them as a culture because they stood up to the Canadian army and defended what they believed in and won. The crisis ended with the Mohawk surrendering to the army and the golf course expansion canceled. You can look at this crisis in one of two ways. The first way of looking at it is that it strengthened the culture by showing that they can accomplish anything that they believe in as a group. Proving that the Oka crisis made the Mohawk people stronger as a culture. The second way of looking at the Oka crisis is that being a part of that culture can hurt you. If the people that were injured were not a part of that culture, they would not have been harmed. The Mohawk elder wouldn’t have died if he wasn’t a part of that culture. That being said, if the Mohawk people did not defend their land then they would just be weaker as a whole. I think that this can be a good example for other cultures. It shows others that if you are in a culture, you can be stronger if you fight for what you believe in as a community. It also shows that there are consequences to being a part of your community. In the end, I think that being in a community can make you stronger rather than hurt you.
If this crisis did not happen, cultures such as the Mohawk people would not be able to show how strong they are. In the end it seemed to be a victory for the Mohawk people because their land was protected by their actions. This crisis also reveals how our government does not respect other cultures and their beliefs. This incident showed the government that there are consequences to their actions against other cultures. This incident might have stopped other possible disputes over land or power between groups or cultures. 
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