Category: Featured

The Act and Draft Action Plan are Canada’s response to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, commonly known as UNDRIP. On June 21^st, 2021, Canada’s UNDRIP Act came into force and the Draft Action Plan was released in March of 2023. This was done following a consultation phase with Indigenous communities. The second and current consultation phase is taking place until the end of May. The MCK is seeking community input to amend and further develop the Action Plan to better meet Indigenous perspectives. When the consultation process is completed, Canada is scheduled to present a final Action Plan to the House of Commons by June 21^st. Currently, the UNDRIP Action Plan has the potential for far-reaching implications as it will guide the federal approach to implementing a range of individual and collective rights.

Two identical sessions will take place and Kahnawa’kehró:non can choose a date based on their preference and availability: Tuesday, May 23^rd and Wednesday, May 24^th, both days from 4:30-7:30pm. For further details, you are aske to contact Jaime-Lynn Deere at: (450) 632-7500 or email jaime-lynn.deere@mck.ca. Dinner will be included for all participants. You are requested to respond by 4pm on Friday May 19^th.

For more information on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and its implementation, please visit www.kahnawake.com/undrip.

An election has been called to fill one (1) seat on the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre Board. The election will be for an end of term period from June 5th until November 1st of this year. The two nominees vying for the vacated seat are: Clinton Phillips; and Karla Boyer. The election will take place on Monday, May 29^th, from 3pm to 7pm at the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre lobby.  Those intending on voting must be at least 21 years of age and older and appear on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry.

Any questions can be brought to the attention of the Electoral Officer, Louise Lahache, at: 450-638-3930 ext. 2203 or via email.

Following an inspection by Canadian Pacific Kansas City (formerly Canadian Pacific Railway), emergency railway track repair work is necessary. The Public Safety Division of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) saying that with the discovery, the Indian Way School crossing (second of the four community crossings going east) will need to be closed next Wednesday, May 17^th, from 9:30am until 3pm.

To maintain safety in the area, the Public Safety Division has permitted the closure for the work to be carried out. The Peacekeepers and Kahnawà:ke Fire Brigade have been advised of the impending required work.

The Kateri Memorial Hospital Center has announced that Valerie Diabo who accepted the KMHC’s Board of Directors offer to become the Interim Executive Director of the Hospital has now been appointed as the full-time Executive Director. Diabo had extensive experience in all her previous KMHC roles leading to this posting. Diabo worked closely with past Executive Director, Lisa Westaway as the hospital ensured a smooth transition until Westaway’s departure back on April 3rd. Her connection to people is heightened by her lengthy technical experience for the position. Diabo started her nursing studies at Lasalle College back in 1987, earning a Nursing Assistant Certificate in 1990, followed by education at Dawson and as a registered Nurse in various units at St. Mary’s Hospital, returning to the KMHC in 1997, while attending the University of Ottawa, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree, Magna Cum Laude, ‘with great distinction and honours.’

Diabo worked extensively in a senior management role as KMHC’s Director of Nursing & Community Care since 2007, she has been responsible for all aspects of nursing care within the hospital. Her previous positions at KMHC include Manager of Homecare, and Infection Prevention Control Nurse. She had been acting as the Interim Executive Director since April 1, 2023.

There have been some new developments in the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis (SSSL) Land Grievance, with attention focused on a parcel of land of approximately one (1) acre in size, within the town of Delson. “The Old Mill Site,” lot exists within the eastern boundary of the SSSL adjacent to the Turtle River and is recognized as belonging to Kahnawà:ke under the SSSL. In 1774, a mill was built at the site, later torn down in 1897. The land was leased to a neighbor by Kahnawà:ke Chiefs from the 1850s to 1897 with Indian Affairs requesting a surrender twice being refused on both occasions. Portfolio Chief Michael Delisle, Jr.:

“It’s a beautiful, pristine parcel of land that is part of Kahnàwa:ke, within the Seigneury and we’re taking steps to ‘activate it’ again and make it ours in terms of usage, again.”

In 1897, Indian Affairs leased the lot until the early 1900s, then the MCK leased to a neighbor into the 2000s, to which the MCK was receiving a symbolic $1 per year amount from the lease, a move that shows Kahnawà:ke’s long-standing tie to the lot. Delisle jr. saying he’s not sure when the breakdown of actual ownership of the land got lost in the shuffle:

“Honestly, we don’t know. We’ve asked the questions and haven’t gotten any answers yet, we had a legal search done and continue to do the research ourselves, but we’re asking both the municipality as well as the Federal and Provincial government how this ‘changed name’ and we’ll get to the bottom of it at the end of the day, but in essence it is ours and will continue to be ours, it’s never been surrendered.”

The MCK is engaging with Delson representatives on the use to the lot, including greater accessibility:

“The acceptability of it through the Mayor of Delson and the municipality is, I’ll say, ‘good’ at this point. We are looking to have people utilize it and have the area cleaned-up: it’s very hidden behind the old driveway and it needs to have a little bit of groundwork to make it accessible to our people, but overall the impression from the municipality is good.”

A possible widening of the road, installation of signage and an environmental site assessment to ensure the soil, vegetation, and water are safe for recreational activities. Once complete, the community will be invited to a ceremonial opening.

To hear more about the Old Mill Site, you can join Ratsénhaienhs Delisle Jr. and File Technician Rose-Ann Morris here, on K1037’s Tetewathá:ren, the Party line talk show on Thursday, May 18^th with further information.

Following an incident during the home opener, new security measures are mandated by the Ontario Lacrosse Association. Also, anyone messing around in the stands will be ejected and banned from all future Hunters home games. During the April 30^th, Junior B match versus the Gloucester Griffins at the Sports Complex, an altercation that started on the floor, escalated to the stands behind the visiting club’s bench the ended with police intervention. As an investigation continues with the OLA, the association is now requiring that the Hunters provide at least 3 identifiable security guards at home matches who will be employed by the club. Failure to confirm the presence of these security guards will result in the game’s postponement at the cost of the Hunters.

The League has not implemented this policy for any other OJBLL teams although they highly encourage the other teams to follow suit.

Quebec’s Public Security Department says water levels across the province have started to decline, but warned the spring flood season is not yet over. The Outaouais region in western Quebec and the Laurentians remain the most severely affected. In the Outaouais, 23 municipalities have been affected by flooding, with 18 more in the Laurentians. In the Montérégie region 10 municipalities have been affected by the water issues. Meanwhile, in the Tioweró:ton Territory, there’s some ‘good news’ from the North.  Water has receded from the roadways with all roads now open in the cabin area, noting that the wooded areas remain saturated at this time.

A resident reported that a 10-year-old girl was shot with a BB gun at a park in the New Development, according to the Kahnawake Peacekeepers. The victim was hit in the arm and did not require medical attention. Both the victim and their friends describing the attackers as being males in a small white car, that car driving off after the shot was fired. The witnesses provided a description of the suspects clothing, that assisted officers who later located three suspects, found at the same residence where the car was observed. The suspects in question were two local males under 18 years of age and a non local male over the age of 18. During questioning, the person who fired the BB gun at the child was identified, that person was later charged with using an imitation firearm while committing an offence, assault with a weapon and failure to comply with an undertaking on a file in Chateauguay. He was sent to Youth Detention.

Expect a partial closure of the 138-east ramp from the Mercier bridge for the 20 westbound ramp next week, starting on Sunday at 11:59pm, until Friday at midnight. Only 1 of 2 lanes will be available on that ramp all week again next week, with that work lasting until the start of summer, at least. A detour will be in place from the 20 east, towards exit 65.

Until the end of May, 1 of 2 lanes bringing you from the 20-west for the 138 west and the Mercier, will be closed.

Nominations for one (1) Community Representative on the Board of Directors of The Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) will take place this coming Monday, May 8^th, from 3pm until 7pm in the KMHC lobby. To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 21-years-old; a user, for at least 2 years, of KMHC services; you must appear on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry; nominated by two (2) people who themselves appear on the Registry; and provide your name, band number, date of birth, phone number and email address.

Once nominations are verified, a by-election date will be announced to fill the vacancy caused by the departure of Iohahi:io Delisle, who was elected to the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke.

The successful candidate will finish the term caused by the vacancy from June 5^th until November 1^st.