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Shawn Atleo, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, on recalling the 1990 national emergency at Oka, Que., carefully warned Canadians that "First Nations are ever-mindful of the potential that these events could be repeated." It would be a grave mistake for Canadian leaders to dismiss his words as mere political rhetoric.
Other aboriginal leaders continue to warn Canadians that unless Canada's relations with its young, fast-growing aboriginal community are not addressed effectively and soon, then a nationwide challenge -- armed or unarmed -- to Canada's sovereignty awaits us. How might such an insurgency unfold and could it succeed?
Theory suggests that where significant grievances affect a large segment of a society these so-called root causes can provide the fuel for a rebellion. Recent research suggests that root causes alone do not sufficiently explain why insurgencies erupt. The better question is: "What makes insurgencies feasible?"
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