James Gabriel facts for kids

James Gabriel is a Mohawk leader who was the Grand Chief of Kanesatake, a First Nations community near Oka, Quebec. He was elected three times, serving from 1995 to 2004. His time as chief saw some big disagreements and challenges within the community.

Early Life and Growing Up

James Gabriel was born to a European-Canadian mother and a Mohawk father. In the Kanesatake community, families traditionally trace their heritage through the mother's side. Even though his mother was not Mohawk, James Gabriel grew up in Kanesatake, and both he and his father are officially recognized as members of the community. He learned to speak both French and English.

How Leaders Are Chosen

After a big event called the Oka Crisis in 1990, the people of Kanesatake decided to change how they chose their leaders. Before 1991, chiefs were traditionally chosen by clan mothers, who are important women in the community. These clan mothers could also remove chiefs if they felt it was necessary.

In 1991, Kanesatake held its first popular elections. This meant that everyone in the community could vote for their chiefs and their Grand Chief. This new way of choosing leaders brought new ideas and sometimes new disagreements about how the community should be run.

Becoming Grand Chief

James Gabriel became involved in community politics during and after the Oka Crisis. He was first elected as Grand Chief in 1995. He won the election three times in a row, leading the community until 2004. By his last term, the council of six chiefs was split, with half supporting him and half opposing him.

In 2001, there was a vote to try and remove James Gabriel from his position. While 61% of voters approved the idea, a court decided that this vote was not the right way to end his term, so he stayed in office. There were different reasons why some people didn't support him. Some of his supporters believed he was trying to deal with community safety issues, while his opponents thought he was pushing for a new law (called S-24) that would change the community's relationship with the government.

Managing Community Money

In 2002, James Gabriel allowed the Canadian government to hire a company called PriceWaterhouseCoopers. This company was brought in to check and help manage the community's money. Gabriel said this was needed because the community had a large debt. Later, an audit (a check of the finances) raised some questions, but there was no proof that Gabriel had taken money from the community.

Community Safety and Disagreements

In late 2003, James Gabriel got a special loan for the community's police force. He then secretly hired police officers from other Indigenous communities to help with a plan to improve safety in Kanesatake. Some people believed he wanted to use these officers to stop certain illegal activities. He told his supporters on the council about his plan, but not the three council members who opposed him.

On January 12, 2004, Gabriel led 67 police officers to the local police station to take control. The community's police chief at the time did not support these actions. Many local residents were against this move, and about 200 people surrounded the station.

Gabriel's allies asked for help from the provincial police, the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). However, the SQ had been involved in the Oka standoff in 1990 and did not want to get involved in Kanesatake's internal issues again. They helped arrange for the hired officers to leave the community safely. That same night, James Gabriel's house and car were burned, but no one was hurt. Other protests and disagreements happened in the community. Gabriel and his family moved to a nearby community for safety.

Disagreements about who should lead the Kanesatake police force continued through 2004. James Gabriel's position as Grand Chief also became a big topic of discussion. Some people believed he was no longer the Grand Chief after January 2004, while others disagreed.

In June 2005, the provincial police said that James Gabriel's plan was meant to replace the police chief and the police commission. They also said that they had advised Gabriel against the plan because it was not well thought out.

In the elections on June 26, 2005, James Gabriel was defeated by his opponent, Steven Bonspille. Gabriel received 344 votes, while Bonspille received 375. The new council of six chiefs were all supporters of Gabriel, which led to new challenges in governing the community. Gabriel did not run for re-election after this term.

Some Indigenous groups in Canada, like the Assembly of First Nations, supported James Gabriel in these disagreements. His supporters believed that the provincial government did not do enough to help him deal with community safety issues. His opponents, however, argued that his leadership was too strict and that his efforts to stop certain activities were not accepted by everyone in the community.

About Bill S-24

James Gabriel also helped with a federal bill called S-24. Supporters of this bill said it was meant to make clear how the Kanesatake community related to the Canadian government. Kanesatake is considered a "settlement," not a "reserve," so it is not fully under Canada's Indian Act. Those who opposed S-24 believed the bill would reduce the community's independence.

A community vote on the bill passed by only two votes. Many residents chose not to vote at all. Some people thought Gabriel wanted to change Kanesatake into a regular municipality under Canadian law. This would have given the federal and provincial governments more power over the community.