Ratsénhaienhs Iohahí:io Delisle is on medical leave effective Wednesday, March 12th until Wednesday, April 30th. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake saying that the temporary re-allocation of Ratsénhaienhs Delisle′s portfolios will take place at the next Council meeting.
The Council of Chiefs releasing the upcoming community meeting agenda that includes discussions on: Border Crossing; the 2025-2026 MCK Operating Budget; the Renewable Energy Project; and an Open Discussion. The meeting is scheduled to take place on March 26th/26 Enniskó:wa, from 6-9pm at the Golden Age Club.
Local social media warnings coming from residents who are bringing attention to another set of vehicle theft attempts. This latest one occurring overnight in the OCR/Belle’s Beach road area, someone tried breaking into a vehicle last night but were deterred by the family’s dogs.
With these incidents occurring Kahnawakeronon are being asked to remain vigilant.
Police officers from the Montreal Integrated Firearms Enforcement Team (or ILET), coordinated by the Sûreté du Québec, conducted an operation in Kanesatake to combat organized crime and illegal firearms trafficking this morning. This operation stems from a project that began in the summer of 2024 related to illegal firearms and drug trafficking. Five people have been arrested following the action. The suspects arrested include three men in their 40s, as well as two women, aged 31 and 40. Two vehicles and two residences were targeted in today’s operations.
The Integrated Firearms Enforcement Team (ILET) is mandated to combat firearms trafficking and gun-related violence. The Montreal ILET is currently composed of members of the Sûreté du Québec, the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and the Montreal Police Service.
The CENTAURE strategy’s mandate is to ensure constant pressure on organized crime and thus actively combat armed violence in Quebec. CENTAURE allows all partner police forces to maximize their efforts at the national, regional, and local levels, targeting the supply, importation, manufacturing, distribution, and illegal possession of firearms.
With record breaking winter weather, it has forced the closure of all the Kahnawake Education Schools: Karonhianónhnha Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa; Kateri School Kahnawake; Kahnawake Survival School; and Kahnawake Post-Secondary Education. Also shutting today: Karihwanóron, Avery’s Daycare, Indian Way and Step by Step. All bus service has also been cancelled for the day. Schools under the KEC umbrella are expected to return as of Tuesday. All school bus service has been cancelled for Monday as well due to the weather and school closures.
A lane closure on the Mercier Bridge towards Montreal overnight Tuesday as crews replace lightbulbs. The closure begins at 9 pm until 5 am Wednesday morning. It will stretch from the Montreal side all the way to the Highway 20 ramps.
A Video has been circulating on social media of an extreme and violent bullying incident Friday night in Kahnawake that involved elementary school students.
The Kahnawake Peacekeepers are investigating the incident that allegedly involved grade 5 and 6 students and occurred inside a locker room at the sports complex.
“It was reported to us the next day, January 31,” Kyle Zachary, the Public Relations Officer with the PKs told K1037 News. “An assault had occurred. It had been captured on video. That video had been making the rounds throughout the community through social media and person to person. The file is under investigation. We’re looking at working with KSCS in terms of extrajudicial measures. These are young children, it might not necessarily serve the public interest to charge them.”
Zachary says there were two alleged perpetrators and one victim.
Kateri School put out a public statement in response to the incident on Saturday. The school says it will address the matter this morning at a school assembly first thing Monday morning.
“We’re going to look into it and have a collaborative team approach and decide the next steps,” Kateri School Principal Kevin Gault told K1037 News. “There was an assembly planned already. I’m still going to do what was planned in the assembly. It’s going to be addressed but also I want to speak about the values that Kateri school has and that we are dedicated to providing a safe environment for all students and want to ensure students that they feel safe.”
Gault says the writing was already on the wall. He says there has been a recent increase in social media bullying that was brought to the school’s attention. It even prompted a message last week to parents and students on their Class Dojo on-line portal.
A significant gathering today in Tio’tia:ke, where Ohenton Í:rate ne Ratsisahiens Cody Diabo and Quebec Premier François Legault took part in a ceremony for the signing of a Declaration of Understanding and mutual respect. Premier Legault on this new strengthening of relationship:
“I want to personally thank Grand Chief Cody Diabo and his team for negotiating with us in good faith and for our mutual benefit. Today’s Memorandum of Understanding is for me, an historic step, it’s a step, so we’ll have other steps after but it’s a step that demonstrates the trust between Quebec and Kahnawa:ke.”
Diabo on the significance of the MOU:
“This statement of (Memorandum of) Understanding and mutual respect embodies our collective effort to establish a foundation for constructive dialogue, practical cooperation and a peaceful coexistence. It represents years of hard work and the willingness of both parties to address issues directly and respectfully.”
Legault says this agreement will help get the 213 acres owed from the Autoroute 30 project and finally settle the Autoroute 30 land dispute, land the government promised to the community when the Autoroute was built. Legault saying he is quite sure they’ve found at least 180 acres and they’re working on locating the rest. Legault discussed a range of interest to Kahnawa:ke including the 132, the Mercier bridge file and the Northolt battery plant construction in the Monteregie. He says today’s MOU will help in all further discussions.
The intention is to lay the foundations for a constructive political relationship based on dialogue, committing to work together, respect each other’s unique perspectives and strive for improved mutual understanding. On hand were Ohenton Í:rate ne Ratsisahiens Cody Diabo, Ratsénhaienhs Jeffrey Diabo, from MCK’s Kahnawà:ke–Québec Relations, Quebec Premier François Legault and Ian Lafrenière, the Minister responsible for relations with First Nations and the Inuit.
The Indian Time Newspaper is no more after 41 years. It published its final edition in Akwesasne today. The paper was created in 1983 from community demands in the wake of internal troubles. But it has fallen on hard times in recent years due to a changing media landscape and financial concerns. Marjorie Skidders has been the editor at Indian Time for the last 12 years:
“We tried to keep upbeat and have a good, positive outlook on this and not to be bitter or angry or upset. I think in the production room, it was hard to finish up the last paper. We sent it off and it wasn’t that we were finishing it any later than normal, we were kind of like on time, but it was just a different sense in doing this, that this was our last paper.”
Kenneth Deer was the founder of the Eastern Door. He says papers like the Eastern Door, Iorì:wase and Indian Time are crucial for Indigenous people:
“Very disappointing to hear of the collapse of the Indian Time, it was a newspaper that has been around for a longtime. I think local media is very, very important, particularly in Indian country, we have to have our own media to make sure that we get the stories right, we can’t depend on mainstream media for the information that we get that concerns us.”
4 Kahnawakero:non were honoured last evening with the King Charles III Coronation Medal for their work in advancing Indigenous rights and culture. Quebec Lieutenant Governor Manon Jeanotte, who is Mi’kmaq, handed out the awards at Concordia University. Eastern Door Founder Kenneth Deer, as well as former Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky Deer were among the recipients:
“There’s been such a colonial past and all of these negative things that have happened to our people, but I’m trying to forge forward and see what kind of things we can change now as a result of what we’ve learned and what’s happened. This recognition comes to people right across the country and if they’re going to start to recognize the efforts of our people starting to make strides and be out there and visible and making impacts, whether it’s a colonial institution that’s recognizing it, the fact that our people are being recognized I think is something that should be acknowledged.”
Treena Wahsontiio Delormier was also awarded a medal. She is the Scientific Director at KSDPP and an associate professor in nutrition at McGill:
“It’s hard to toot our own horn because as Kanien’kehà:ka we are taught that humility is really respected. It was a recognition for the work that I do in research that addresses helath food security and nutrition, food systems and also the way I do my research which includes community through participatory research.”
Sedalia Fazio was also awarded a Medal last night:
“When I realized who it was that nominated me and what the process was before we were all selected, I was kind of proud, because this comes from the Montreal urban Indigenous community who I have been working with for 30 something years. So, it was bittersweet.”