Author: Jeremy Zafran

A recent meeting took place between Ohenton Í:rate ne Ratsisahiens Cody Diabo, Kahnawà:ke-Canada Relations portfolio lead, Ratsénhaienhs Ryan Montour and Member of Parliament Jamie Schmale of the Conservative Party. The meeting, yesterday, was with the Conservative Shadow Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations who serves opposite of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Gary Anandasangaree, of the Liberal Party. According to Diabo the purpose of theses types of meetings is to cultivate relationships with external Ministers and to ensure that Kahnawà:ke’s priorities and positions are heard.

Diabo continuing by stating: “It’s important that we engage with all parties and our goal is to ensure that our voices are not only heard but respected.”

The meeting was held at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke.

Kirby Road will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, November 14^th, according to The Public Works Unit of the  Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK). The road closure is required to repair a water main break, with the work scheduled to begin at 7am and  concluding at 1pm. Residents in the vicinity may experience reduced water pressure or a temporary loss of water throughout the day.

The Knights of Columbus has received the final report from the engineering company, with a passing grade for both the structural and flooring inspections. According to the design and engineering drawings it is rated above the current set of norms. The company made 1 recommendation that the visible cracks be sealed for aesthetic purposes: that has already been done. That said, according to the Manager of the hall rentals, Mouchie Goodleaf, they are open for business.

Expect some ramp closures in Kahnawake to and from the Mercier bridge. The 132-up-ramp from La Prairie towards Montreal and the 132-down-ramp, will both be closed tonight from 10 pm until tomorrow, Saturday morning, at 5 am. The same closures will be in effect from Saturday night at 10 pm until Sunday at 5 am.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke’s administrative offices will be closed on Monday, to observe Remembrance Day. The Waste Management Offices will be closed. There will be no cardboard drop-offs. Household recycling, special collections, and compost collection will continue as usual. The Transfer Depot Brush Drop-off will close for the season tomorrow due to the approaching colder temperatures.

Tewatoni’sahktha is dropping its annual Business Golf Challenge. They are planning on replacing it with another, as yet to be announced event. The proceeds generated over the years by the tournament have been significant, nearly $1 Million dollars that went directly to support and foster growth within the community. As TEWA embarks on their 2025-2028 strategic plan, their team will shift their focus, with plans for a new annual event that aligns more closely with their mandate.

Today (Friday, November 8th, 2024) is National Indigenous Veterans day. Members of the Mohawk Legion Branch 219 are at the Services Complex again today from 9-3 selling Poppies. A march and ceremony will be held tomorrow. Ray Deere is President of the Legion. This year’s focus on the women from the community who served:

“A strong tradition, a strong military history, you’ve got to remember that we always had a warrior society that protected Turtle Island and our communities, our territories. It had a lot to do with our women, our Clan Mothers telling us what we needed to do, they gave us the permission to protect our territories, it wasn’t the men that sat around and said: ‘hey, it’s a macho thing, let’s do this,’ no, the women had to give us permission so we carried that on.” 

Tomorrow a community breakfast begins at 8 am at the Legion. At 10 they are off to the cemetery. At 1 pm Parade, headed by the Blackwatch, makes its way to the Cenotaph. A pair of CF-18 fighter jets are scheduled to perform a fly-pass over the Percival-Molson Stadium in Montreal Saturday afternoon to mark the start of the East Division finals of the Canadian Football League 2024 season according to the CAF. The game, scheduled to begin at 3 p.m., will pit the Montreal Alouettes (12-5-1) against the Toronto Argonauts (10-8-0). Military authorities note that a fly-pass is dependent upon weather and flying conditions.

Kahnawake’s Holiday Parade has been cancelled for this year. The Peacekeepers sharing on their social media that due to the lack of participation and interest, they aren’t able to host the parade on Sunday, November 17^th. The Peacekeepers have been hosting the parade since 2010. The PKs saying that another community organization will take over and host the parade in 2025.

A ground breaking agreement was signed in Kahnawake this morning between Correctional Services Quebec and the Public Safety Division of the Mohawk Council. The agreement provides for parole and re-integration of prisoners to be performed in Kahnawake in a culturally appropriate way. This is the first ever agreement of its kind for Correction Services Quebec and an Indigenous community. Francois Demers is the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Corrections Quebec:

“We strongly believe that everything we do closely to the community is important for re-integration, for us, it’s very important to have the community involved. the services are going to be more adapted to the people.”

Ryan Montour heads up the Public Safety Portfolio:

“It means the world, for the support services both inside and outside. We do have a strong social services here that’s able to help community members with whatever problems they have. We all know that incarceration is the ‘end-game’ of a pre-existing problem. Whether it’s addiction services, family support, work skills – we do have a special system here that definitely will support the offender into being a successful member of our community.”

Lloyd Phillips is the Commissioner of Public Safety on the investment on the agreement:

“The agreement initially is for $108,000, it’s for a 2-year agreement at this point and that’s going to support the work that’s has to happen in the community, the new work that takes place in the community. That’s a starting point and as we evolve and further define the relationship, we’re always open to having more discussions on where that’s going to go. We  think it’s a solid starting point to build on the correction services we have in general in the community, it’s going to enahnce everything that we are doing to support our people.”

There are currently 10 offenders from Kahnawake who are serving sentences in Provincial jails. There are a further 24 who are subject to various and differing levels of conditions of parole.

The MCK has been in collaborative discussions concerning targeted Deer Culls planned for the Monteregie and the island of Montreal. The Culls are aimed at addressing the challenges associated with deer overpopulation in areas heavily impacted in the region. These Culls are controlled, restricted hunts, conducted solely by certified wildlife management experts equipped with specialized air rifles or rifles with silencers, for efficient and safe harvesting. Ratsisahiens David Diabo on the cull:

“There’s been discussions happening with the different municipalities that have been organizing deer culls and part of the discussions are how Kahnawake might play a part in these initiatives and the organization of – I think there’s 4 that are being organized – and we’re currently speaking to at least two of the organizers of the cull that are going to happen fairly soon”

The initiative focuses on responsible wildlife management to mitigate the effects of overpopulation, including habitat degradation and the spread of disease. Technician Dennis Diabo on the background of discussions that started in 2022 and benefits for Kahnawakeronon:

“We had these talks with the municipality of Longueil because that was the most, the one that people are aware of because of all the court cases and the protests trying to stop that deer cull, anyway, it went on. We also had discussions with the representatives from the city of Montreal for the 2 parks that are on the east end of Montreal, those deer culls are going to happen. We also had discussions with the director of CPAC, he is charge of the deer cull that will take place in Boucherville, Ile de Boucherville and Mont Bruno areas. Those culls are also going to happen.”

In 2022, Council initiated discussions with the Provincial Ministry of Flora, Fauna and Parks to ensure that Kahnawake benefits from the Culls, including the provision of venison, hides, and antlers.