94. Ms. SAYERS (International Working Group on Indigenous Affairs) said that on 11 July 1990 the Mohawks of Kanesatake had taken a firm stand to protect their traditional lands from being developed into a golf course. Since that time the communities of Kanesatake and Kahnawake had been deprived of food as a means of coercing them to abandon their stand and submit to the Government. Such food as the Mohawks had been able to obtain had had to be rationed and malnutrition had become a matter of great concern. Efforts to smuggle food into the territory by boat or by back-pack through the woods had been harassed by police. 95. As support for the Mohawks had spread across the country, food had been sent from many sectors; it had not however been permitted entry into the communities and was rotting at the barricades while people inside went hungry. On one occasion food had been flown in to Kahnawake and subsequently the air space above both communities had been closed. 96. The Canadian Government claimed that food was being allowed into the two communities but the question might then be asked why it had been necessary for the Mohawks to establish as their first precondition to begin negotiations that there should be unimpeded access to food, clothing, medical supplies, health care and other basic necessities of life for both communities. 97. Medicines and other related necessities had to be smuggled into the two communities. What was most disturbing was that ambulances were being delayed at police barricades without regard for the seriousness of the condition of the patient. At the barricades, Mohawks were harassed, detained and searched. Even the legally constituted police officers instituted under the authority of the Indian Act were being held at gun-point and told by the provincial police to leave their sidearms at home. 
**Analysis**
The text describes a situation where the Mohawks of Kanesatake are resisting the development of their traditional lands into a golf course, and as a result, they are facing food deprivation, malnutrition, and harassment from the police. The text highlights the difficulties in accessing basic necessities such as food, medicine, and healthcare. This suggests that the main issue is not about economic development or natural resources, but rather about the human rights and dignity of the Mohawks.

**Category**
Humanitarian aid and relief, Health