Mohawk Airwaves and Cultural Challenges: Some Reflections on the Politics of Recognition and Cultural Appropriation After the Summer of 1990

Abstract

This paper closely examines the phone-in community radio service of Kahnawake as it emerged and evolved during and after the Kanehsatake and Kahnawake/governments' confrontation in the summer of 1990. Reflecting on an incident in which a community group in LaSalle attempted to appropriate the Kahnawake airwaves for their own political ends, the paper raises questions about constituency-group control, ownership, and cross-cultural sharing of First Nations community radio airtime and cultural content. Résumé: Cet article examine en profondeur le service de ligne ouverte offert par la radio communautaire de Kahnawake tel qu'il a évolué pendant et après la confrontation entre les différents palliers gouvernementaux d'un bord et Kanehsatake / Kahnawake de l'autre durant l'été 1990. Analysant une tentative de la part d'un groupe communautaire de LaSalle de s'approprier les ondes à Kahnawake pour ses propres fins politiques, nous soulevons des questions en rapport avec le contrôle, le partage et le droit de propriété qu'auraient différents groupes d'intérêt et / ou culturels.

History of Struggle: The Global Story of Community Broadcasting Practices, or a Brief History of Community Radio

“…In countries experiencing political and economic conflict, stations were set up in solidarity with workers and students on strike, such as Radio Scorpio and Radio Sylvania in Belgium (Rodriguez, 2001). In other communities, radio stations were established through familiar networks, such as the aforementioned Miners' radio, growing to 26 stations in Bolivia in 1952 (Light, 2011, p. 53), the beginnings of Indigenous radio in Canada (Minore and Hill, 1990;Roth, 1993), and the spread of community radio through relations in Indigenous and campesino communities in Mexico and Peru (Girard, 1992).…”

“…Resulting from an initiative by the Wawatay Communications Society in Big Trout Lake, the experimental station launched initially to serve an Oji-Cree speaking reserve of approximately 700 people, and today Wawatay operates a community-owned radio network serving over 30,000 Indigenous people in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Treaty 3 areas (Wawatay, n.d.). A few years later, Quebec became home to Indigenous radio with the establishment of CKRK, the Kahnawake Mohawk Radio Broadcasting system, in 1978 (Roth, 1993). Indigenous radio also surged in Mexico after the establishment of the Instituto Nacional Indigenista (INI) in 1979, opening eight stations within a decade (Rodriguez, 2001, p. 30).…”

“…Community radio during the Resurgence stage of development continued to spread to new places, including a psychiatric hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina (Colifata, n.d.), and occupied Kahnestake, surrounded by the Canadian Army just outside of Montreal (Roth, 1993). In addition, La Voz de la Comunidad opened in Guatemala City, first broadcasting in 1990 with ' a simple system of six cone speakers, a small amplifier and a couple of turntables', and expanding in 1999 to several neighborhoods (Dagron, 2001, p. 101).…”

Uprising at Oka: A Place of Non-identification

“…While scholars tend to agree that the events of 1990 constitute an important moment in Canadian history-all attest to a "before and after Oka"-they agree on little more when it comes time to assessing the impact of Oka (Grenier, 1994;Roth, 1992Roth, , 1993Roth, , 1995Salée, 2005;Trudel, 1995;Valaskakis, 2005). Indeed, all controversial historical events become the objects of lively criticism from a variety of corners.…”

Aboriginal Cultural Capital Creation and Radio Production in Urban Ontario

“…10. Communication-studies scholars concerned with Native communications have tended to focus on the modern era (Alia, 1999;Brisebois, 1983;Browne, 1996;Demay, 1991aDemay, , 1991bFairchild, 1998;Hudson, 1977;Keith, 1995;Mahtani, 2001;Madden, 1992;Mander, 1991;Riggins, 1983;Roth, 1993;Valaskakis, 1992). Some locate the impulse for Native media development in the allegedly unsolicited provisions made by the Canadian government to supply funds for Native political associations and communications societies (Demay, 1991a(Demay, , 1991bRaudsepp, 1984;Rupert, 1983;Smith & Brigham, 1992).…”