Category: Featured

The Iakwahwatsiratátie Language Nest is a Kanien’kéha immersion for parents and caregivers of children aged 0-4 offering a home-like environment for parents to learn Kanien’kéha with their children. Getting set to launch into year 10 of their intergenerational Onkwehonwehneha immersion environment, the organization has entered into a funding agreement with Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services to receive core funding starting with the 2023-2024 year. Following years of partnerships with Kahnawake Partners in Early Learning Child care, this agreement with KSCS includes the understanding that the programs and group will remain autonomous and that this has been guaranteed.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) today, offered some important changes and updates regarding housing for the community. Following recommendations from two separate consultant reports including that report on housing by Brant & Associates and based on the Osborne Group’s Restructuring Study, coupled with years aligning operations for the MCK Housing Unit, operations are now moving forward with new direction. Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer saying it’s a great day and moving forward is the only way:

“It was very important to do something like this in terms of transparency, letting the community know where things are, letting everybody know the amount of work, time and energy that has gone into reconciling accounts and growing from the incident, the thing that happened that I know still a lot of people are upset about, but none-the-less, we have to move forward, we learn from our mistakes, we evolve, we grow. I think that what was announced today in terms of what’s upcoming that it’s exciting to hear that we the numbers now, we have the analysis for the community and that we’re going to work diligently to ensure  that we are meeting the needs.”

Allan John Rice is the Housing Unit’s Executive Operations Officer, saying that from some housing bad news, came some good:

“The housing studies which are commissioned by the Council of Chiefs, these studies validated much of what we knew about housing issues that were going on across Indian country and all of Canada and providing housing services that our community deserves would be a daunting task, if something we’ve learned from this. We already knew that we had a lot to do but this study has really validated just how much of that we have to do and how we’re looking at this as a long-term plan and the game-plan to be able to meet the housing needs that our community deserves.”

New home construction under the MCK Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) will resume with an improved client experience. Areti Malliarou’s financial expertise has been at the table for 2 years in the role as Director of the Housing Unit:

“We are introducing 2 new roles in the unit, a Client-Experience Manager and a Program Manager. The selected candidates will start next week. We have also created a new role of Housing Programs and Project Management Coordinator and an internal staff member has been promoted, recognized to that role and all of us are working hard to accomplish the best for the community.”

Housing Portfolio Lead, Ratsénhaienhs Ryan Montour stating that the MCK is elated that the newly remodeled Housing Unit that is now equipped and staffed to better service the housing needs of Kahnawa’kehró:non and with that funding secured, the completion of Project 7 can resume with the construction of three (3) new residential homes, for the immediate needs of the community:

“Internal construction freeze, it has been lifted, we are at a point now with an operation within the Housing Unit specific that, yes, we can build houses for community members.”

The Housing Unit has also undergone a restructuring of its employees and processes. Montour saying a new positive direction requires a more positive name to reflect the changes:

“We will not use ‘Social Housing’ anymore, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is in the business of providing ‘hand-up’, helping our community members, we will be referring to it as ‘Community Housing’ from now all in all aspects.”

On more than one occasion the MCK analyzed 282 mortgage and home renovation files through a detailed, independent third-party forensic audit. As part of the process, the loan management and control mechanisms were examined and improved for greater financial oversight.

A Quebec Superior Court judge had granted an emergency injunction to stop excavation work on the old Royal Victoria Hospital site in Montreal as requested by a group of Kanien’kehá:ka elders. The group, called the Kanien’kehá:ka Kahnistensera, or Mohawk Mothers, believes there may be unmarked graves of Indigenous people, including children, on or near the site following CIA-funded brainwashing experiments in the 1950s and 1960s. Kwettiiho, is part of the group that says the site may also house archeological remains from the first pre-colonial Iroquois village. The group filed a civil suit demanding the suspension of McGill University’s redevelopment plans for part of the former hospital. There was evidence of remains on the site.

Today, an agreement between all parties involved was completed and homologated, making it an official settlement. The parties involved included: McGill University; Royal Victoria Hospital; the Société Québécoise des Infrastructures (SQI) and the Mohawk Mothers, with the latter group acting as their own lawyers. This round featured the use of Indigenous laws, with Kwettiiho saying it shows that it still remains an effective remedy, today.

A judge had issued an oral decision in the group’s favour last year, granting the emergency, temporary injunction they requested.

The Echoes of a Proud Nation Pow Wow has officially released details of this year’s event. It will be held July 8-9^th weekend on Tekakwitha Island. It all kicks off on the Friday evening with the social. Kimberly Cross Zacharie advertising representative for the Pow Wow:

“It should be back to a normal Pow Wow, very similar to what we had done last year and more information is going to be coming in the next few months and our committee plans, but as of right now it’s our normal Pow Wow and we’re looking forward to all of our dancers, our drummers. all of our vendors and all of our spectators.”

There will be over 75 vendors and another 25 food trucks and booths. Cross-Zacharie on what you can expect to see, including tons of competitions:

“So, if it’s your 1st time you can expect to see many, many people, many Indigenous people and non-Indigenous as well. It’s an event that’s open to everybody. We have over 100 vendors who are selling crafts, handmade goods, things that are all pertaining to our culture and you’ll also see a lot of dancing. So, the main events are the dancing. We have different categories of Pow Wow style dancing, We have our smoke-dance competition that happens and that’s traditional Iroquois smoke-dance, so that’s really special for us. We have drum competitions, so the drummers who are there who are playing the songs for our dancers, they are actually in competitions throughout the weekend and usually we’ll have special guests.”

This year’s Pow Wow will be held July 8-9^th weekend on Tekakwitha Island. It all kicks off on the Friday evening with the social.

After careful review the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has slammed the Catholic Church and Pope Francis for essentially washing their hands of the colonization of Indigenous people around the world. This after the pope repudiated the Doctrine of Discovery just 2 weeks ago. Ross Montour is an elected official with the MCK:

“The repudiation, it’s like basically saying like, we don’t like that anymore, we don’t have anything to do with that anymore. However, it’s not the same thing as rescinding the ‘Papal Bulls’ of, particularly, 1493. And this is what really is like the foundation of the ‘Doctrine of Discovery,’ which allows European colonization really all over the world, but in terms of Turtle Island, that’s here and it’s still operative within the law.”

The Doctrine, instituted by the Vatican in the 15^th century, provided religious and legal authority for colonial conquest, and was used to justify the taking of Indigenous lands, lives and resources in the Americas and Africa. The MCK saying the announcement falls short of true and meaningful reconciliation that colonial governments purport to be making with Indigenous Peoples.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke has released details for the Spring Community Meeting that will be held on Tuesday, May 16^th at the Golden Age Club starting at 7pm. The agenda for the get together will be released as the meeting date approaches. As for the Chiefs Kiosks, those will be held on April 21^st from 1 to 4 pm and May 5^th from 2 until 5pm (both are Fridays), and once again, at the Golden Age Club

The Public Works Department of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke will close the Town Rink at Orville Standup Park on Thursday to install a new asphalt sealer. The sealer should take approximately twenty-four (24) hours to cure. The Rink will reopen on Friday morning, April 21^st.

Tonya Perron and Iohahiio Delisle are in Ottawa. They met yesterday with Crown Indigenous Relations Minister Marc Miller. They are taking part in two days of meetings as part of the Indigenous Caucus. The agenda includes discussions on Bill C-92 about Children. Youth and families, as well as on harvesting. The meetings will wrap up this afternoon.

Iohento Iionte ne Ratsisahiens Kahsennehawe Sky Deer and Chief Political Advisor Winnona Polson-Lahache are in Quebec City attending the Assembly of First Nations Quebec and Labrodor Chiefs General Assembly. The three-day meeting will include discussions on Governance, self determination and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.