even though they have been living there "from the 18th century until the present." According to the land claim document from the government, "the King of France granted the [land] to the Seminary of St. Sulpice." However, the Aboriginal people believe that "the land was taken from [them] in the 1700's." The Mohawk people had settled there before the arrival of the French, but as was the case across most of Canada, the immigrants claimed the land for themselves.
             In 1912 the Chief of the Indian band at Oka put forward his band's claim to title, but the "religious authorities denied his claim, arguing that any original rights that might have existed had been eliminated by government actions beginning with the grants by the King of France in the
             18th century." Since then, the Mohawks of Kanesatake have submitted a comprehensive land claim and a specific land claim to the Canadian government attempting to regain the land that was stolen from them. All claims are sent to the Claims of Indian Government Sector, who represent Canada in all the negotiations. A comprehensive land claim "must be a viable legal claim demonstrating that the land claimed is not covered by a treaty and that aboriginal title has not been superseded by law; the claim must be buttressed by evidence of continuing use and occupancy by the land since time immemorial." The argument of the government was that any claim the Mohawks had to the land had extinguished because they had not held the land since time immemorial. A specific claim arises "from alleged non-fulfilment of treaties and other lawful obligations or from the alleged improper administration of lands and other assets under the Indian Act." The government rejected this claim stating that "there was no legal obligation owed by the federal government to the Mohawks in relation to past dealings with their land." This angered th...