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Time to visit with another Community Engagement Kiosk that will take place this Friday, February 10^th, from 1pm until 5pm at the Golden Age Club. Items expected to be discussed include the recent MCK Portfolio Review & Allocations, the draft regulations for the Administrative Tribunal, draft regulations on Eviction Orders and the survey on the Memorial Path. Kahnawa’kehró:non are encouraged to bring their questions, comments, or ideas to the participating Ratitsénhaienhs in a respectful one-on-one forum. For those who cannot attend, another Kiosk will be held the following Friday, February 17th, at the same time and location.

As for the Winter Community Meeting it remains scheduled for Tuesday, February 21^st at the Golden Age Club starting at 7pm. That agenda will be announced in advance of the meeting date.

Harry Rice of Kahnawake as well as Lylee Horn, Melody Horn, Rachel Leborgne and Journey Jacobs are off to the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame. They were part of the The NIFA Ladies Team Indigenous Canada, which won gold in 2015 in Brazil and in Edmonton in 2017. After reaching the pinnacle, Rice is thrilled to share the experience:

“If you asked me 10 years ago or 15 years ago where do you think soccer would have taken you, I would have told you one of the local communities, so, me going out to travel the world for soccer, Brazil, Cuba, Hawaii and the Dominican Republic, I don’t know if I would have believed you if you told me I was going to do that let alone winning world championships with NIFA. It’s a great honour, I’m lucky to be part of that, it was great to share that experience with some of the girls form Kahnàwake.”

The group joins previous inductees such as Jim Thorpe, Billy Mills, George Armstrong and Kahnawake’s Alwyn Morris.

A new, safe center turning lane will being added to Route 37 that runs through Akwesasne and St Regis. According to Colleen Thomas, the Director of planning and Infrastructure for The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, it’s not a moment too soon. From February 2016 to January, 2021. They recorded 803 vehicle crashes; where 172 involved an injury, 9 of which were considered serious and fatalities:

“I believe our data says there have been 12 fatalities on Route 37 in the area that we are planning this new center turning lane, if this center turning lane helps to eliminate even 1 fatality, I will consider it a success.”

The money is from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Program. Thomas says the plan is to begin construction in the spring of 2025. Saint Regis announced today that it was awarded over $10 million to improve the safety of motorists along the 4.2-mile stretch of Route 37 stretching between the Speedway and Twinleaf business complexes.

Lou Ann Stacey has been named the new project director at Kahnawake Collective Impact. . Stacey, currently a member of the K1037 Board of Directors and will remain in that role, starting her new position next Monday. She’s familiar with KCI the organization through her experience on radio:

“I’m excited about it. I’ve been working 30 plus years in the community in various areas always keeping all of my passions ahead of everything, so, sports, working with kids, helping to promote areas in disability, addictions, all of those things, so different boards of directors. When I look at this job, it’s exciting because it’s kind of like putting a lot of that together and something that I’ve always believed in that we needed to create change in the community and if it’s going to get us to a place where things are going to get better, someone’s got to be in the drivers seat and I think I a good person for that.”

In a short release from KCI, “She brings with her, years of experience and dedication to the community.” Stacey begins her new position next Monday. Stacey is currently a member of the K1037 Board of Directors and will remain in that role.

The inclement weather has created havoc in the community as high-tension wires are down with utility poles down on Old Malone Highway. 1 823 customers in the community are currently without electricity. Kyle Zachary is a spokesperson with the Kahnàwake Peacekeepers:

“Several utility poles have fallen in the area of the Old Malone Highway, in front of Village Variety. There are high tension wires and those have fallen as well. The area is extremely dangerous it’s been closed off by officers. Power is going to be cut to the area, it’s very possible that it’s already been cut. Letting the community know to stay away from the area, it’s very dangerous. Warm zones are in the process of being established for people who have lost power.”

Kahnàwake Public safety and KSS continue to seek ‘warm zones’ for those without power. The MCK saying that the White House and the 207 Longhouse will be 2 of those shelters with Ratsénhaienhs Cody Diabo saying that you should contact the PK’s at 450-632-6505 prior to heading to either shelter. KSS along with the MCK are suggesting you continue to monitor their social media sites, Kahnàwake 911 and your community radio station K1037 to keep you up-to-date on the situation in the community.

This is a developing story.

The Winners were Announced for the “2022 BroadwayWorld Montreal Awards” and Urinetown: The Musical, cleaned-up capturing 11 awards including: Best Musical; Best Performer in a Musical by Iakotonhnhetsheraka:ion Scout Marquis; and Best Direction of a musical by Kirk Elsmore and Kyle Zachary. Zachary was genuinely excited:

“It’s really awesome, BroadwayWorld is a big website, they have regional awards in just about every city around the world, so to be recognized it’s a big deal for us especially coming off a long hiatus like the Turtle Island Theatre had.”

Zachary says they are already thinking about the next performance and the future looks bright:

“We’re meeting as a production team, we don’t have anything set in stone yet, but we have a few titles that we’re kicking around. We want to make sure we have enough for all of our new members, new members that will be coming after hearing this news: everybody loves a winner, right? I’m expecting we’ll have more members this coming summer and with Turtle Island theatre starting production again with an afterschool program, this is our 1st steps in rebuilding the theatre community in Kahnàwake.” 

Starcatcher Productions/ Turtle Island Theatre was also voted best theatre.

There was a violent incident between the 2 teams following a GMAA basketball game yesterday at Kahnàwake Survival School. A video is circulating of a fight on the court following the KSS Akweks loss to the visitors from Emmanuel Christian School. The fracas may have also involved some spectators and non playing members of the KSS student body. Robin Delaronde, the Director of education at the Kahnàwake Education Center:

“Through the interviews that we did, it was consistent, from many parties, that students or student from the opposing team did begin to make sounds, racial gestures and sounds and this is what really started the incident. So, the people who went forth and addressed the situation stating that it was not acceptable, do you know what you are doing, that type of response.”

Delaronde is disappointed that something like this happen and has yet to hear from the other school:

“No, we haven’t heard from the other school and through our contact, the contact at GMAA, they too have confirmed that the other school has not submitted any documentation or contacted the GMAA association to either express concern or submit anything in terms of a report.”

In a late day announcement, both schools agreed to meet and collaborate on creating positive educational opportunities in light of the recent KSS/ECS incident. (

Brooke Stacey and the Montreal Force are in action on Saturday. The game will be marked by the team sporting Indigenous shirts designed by a Kahnawa’kehró:non. Originally from Onondaga, Jada Hopper a stay-at-home-mom who was part of the group that designed the logo for the event:

“I was approached by Tatum Leronhienhewi McComber who is one of the main people at the Iakwahwatsiratátie Language Nest. I’ve attended the Language Nest, been a part of it for around 5 years, off and on, and she approached me and asked me if I would be interested in helping to design a logo for the Montreal Force Jerseys and that proceeds from these jerseys would go to the Language Nest, which I was more than happy to do.”

The MCK’s Council of Chiefs has completed their mid-term Portfolio Review and have made adjustments to the 2021-2024 term portfolio distribution. As heard today on Tetewathara the Partyline Talkshow on K1037, portfolio reviews are done during each term and today’s announcement was highlighted by the two recently-elected Ratitsénhaienhs who are receiving their first formal assignments. Ratsénhaienhs Iohahi:io Delisle has been assigned as the lead on the Health Portfolio. He has also been selected to work on the Indigenous Rights & Research, Economic Development and Social Supports & Development portfolios. Ratsénhaienhs Stephen McComber, is the lead on the newly-created Sustainable Development portfolio (which includes community development Initiatives, food security/agriculture, and ‘green’ initiatives). He will also be part of the Indigenous Rights & Research, and Public Safety portfolios. Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer on the changes made:

“Some changes that also needed to happen, structurally, so we did make some modifications there, as a matter of fact, we added a new portfolio. I think the process over 3 days of the Council just sitting reviewing what work has been done within the 16 portfolios within the halfway point of the mandate, really, we are 18 months in and just looking at what are the priorities, what has been accomplished thus far, what do people still want to work on in the next little while. There’s been a lot of shift at the MCK, a lot of new faces have come into the organization, a lot have left, so in terms of a re-organization of the way were functioning.”

Ratsénhaienhs Harry Angus Rice is the lead on the Social Supports & Development portfolio (formerly the Social Affairs portfolio). Ietsénhaienhs Jessica Lazare has been added to the Lands & Territories portfolio where she has been assigned to lead the Tioweró:ton file, previously held by departed Ratsénhaienhs Barton Goodleaf. The new assignments were formalized via Mohawk Council Executive Directive at this morning’s Council meeting and was passed by Consensus.

The Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office is conducting a fish study and is calling on ice fishing enthusiasts in the community to take part. The study is to analyze if any levels of contaminants are present and impacting the local fish population. KEPO is looking to collaborate with ice-fishing community members to collect samples for analysis. The upcoming study will follow up on previous works in 1997 and 2010.

An information session was held in December where items discussed included: the review of knowledge of fish health; previous fish health studies in Kahnawà:ke; the joint development of methods in this upcoming study; and expectations for the study.