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A by-election nomination was held on Saturday with Electoral officer Angus Montour saying that 2 nominees for the ballot will become official, after they clear the verification process. The candidate verification, Montour says, will be confirmed on Wednesday November 23rd, at 12 (Noon).  Unofficially running for the December 3rd position on the Mohawk Council of Kahnàwake are: Bobbi Dee Deere and Stephen McComber. This will  be McComber’s second run in a row after he finished second in the previous by-election to Wahiio Delisle. Deere is also running for a second time; she had an unsuccessful run in a previous general election.

Meet the Candidates is this Wednesday, November 23rd,  at 6pm with a special advanced poll set for Wednesday November 30th. The by-election  for the vacant MCK seat will take place on Saturday December 3rd, at the Golden Age Club.

The Kahnàwake Peacekeepers have been receiving reports of a possible scam from several community members. According to complaints called-in, some residents have received text messages from what appears to be the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), offering an anti-inflation benefit. The text message identifies the recipients name, correct date of birth and social insurance number. There is also a link to a website in the message.

The Peacekeeper’s are not certain how the suspects obtained their target’s personal information, but suggest that you should not ever click any unsolicited links whether in text form or via email.

If you’re interested in protecting yourself from the seasonal flu, the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center is offering a walk-in flu clinic tomorrow, Wednesday, November 16th, at the Legion Branch 219.  The clinic will be held downstairs at the Legion between the hours of 9:00 am and 4:15 pm.

Fifteen (15) Radar Speed Signs are being installed at various locations in the community for your safety and that of others. The Public Safety Division of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke and the Kahnawake Mohawk Peacekeepers announcing that the Public Works Department started installing the signs in and around school zones today. The project is being implemented to educate motorists in the community to be mindful of their speed and increase safety, especially in school zones and pedestrian crossings. While these units will display vehicle speed in real-time, their function is to advise motorists whether they are following the posted speed limit at that location. The Radar Speed Signs will only display your speed and will not be used for speed enforcement. Although the Radar Speed Signs won’t completely resolve the issues with vehicles speeding, they will help raise awareness of the problem of excessive speed in and around the community.

There will be overnight closures for the Mercier Bridge each night from 20:00 to 04:00 Thursday through Sunday.

Tonight, the 132-east ramp towards La Prairie/A-30 will be completely closed, with a detour in place via the 138.

Friday & Saturday: Mobile work and temporary lane closures on all ramps located on the Kahnawake side of the span. And finally on Sunday the 138 east up-ramp (from Chateauguay) towards Montreal will be closed completely with a detour via the 132.

Karoniénhawe Diabo is the owner and designer behind “she holds the Sky designs” and she is off to New York Fashion Week in February. A post for ‘up-and-coming designers’ leading her down this path:

“I had seen a post for an Indigenous designer, up-and-coming designers, it’s through a  company called ‘Rise’ and they put on shows for Fashion Week. So, I applied just to try it out and within a few weeks they got back to me and they selected me to put on a show. And, well, I don’t have to provide models, but I insisted on providing models and so, yeah, we’re getting the ball rolling and trying to organize and make sure that everyone is accommodated when we do go.”

Limited to a minimum of 10 and maximum of 20 designs for the event, Diabo has been at her craft for a while and it varies:

“I’ve been designing exclusively for 7 years now. I do traditional wear, I do modern clothing, I do gowns and it just kind of happened in the way that I was able to stay home with my kids so that’s my inspiration I guess: to be able to do what I love but also still be a stay-at-home mom.”

10 models have been selected to join Diabo for the event with others being provided by the Fashion week Organization. Her designs will be available for viewing at Studio Art in the Garment District on February 10^th, 2023, in Manhattan.

The KMHC is inviting you to their Open House event that is running this Thursday, November 10^th from 2pm until 6 p.m. Mackenzie Casalino is the Communications Officer with the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center:

“Our open house will be showcasing the services that many community members will already know of, in addition to some of our news ones. This will be the 1st time since our renovations that ended in 2019 that we’ll be able to showcase the changes that have physically occurred in the hospital. We’ve been having to delay it because of Covid, so, we’re really excited to welcome the community back and really kind of show them what’s changed and what’s new.”

Casalino on what can community members expect upon arrival:

“You’ll be greeted at the outpatient lobby, it’s our main lobby entrance that many people are familiar with, we will be providing guided tours, so a tour guide will be directing visitors through all the different services, where the services will be providing information on how to access them and answering any questions that the visitors and community members might have.”

Casalino says there will be an end treat for visitors to sample:

“We’ll be providing a little taste test of some of the desserts that we provide with food services, in a little take-away container, so folks can go home with some nice treats at the end of the tour.”

The hospital will be offering guided tours to showcase the latest renovations and the new and updated services since the major renovation project launched back in 2019.

The first component of the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act has been approved and has been brought into force today by the Kahnawà:ke Justice Commission. In the announcement, The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) stressed the importance of this initial step that allows for the transfer of criminal files from the Court of Kahnawà:ke to Skén:nen Aonsón:ton or “To Become Peaceful Again,” for resolution using restorative justice. Skén:nen Aonsón:ton  has been in existence since 2000. In keeping with the principles of the Kahnawà:ke Justice Act of balance and harmony, the use of (“To Become Peaceful Again”) Skén:nen Aonsón:ton is the first option in resolving conflict.

Ietsénhaienhs Tonya Perron, who holds the lead on the Justice Portfolio saying that: “The Justice Act gives our community the formal means to build jurisdiction.” “This new protocol is the entry point and foundation of Kahnawà:ke’s justice system, promoting restorative justice as a more culturally appropriate means of resolving conflict in a peaceful, non-confrontational way.

Today is November 8^th and that is National Indigenous Veterans Day, an opportunity to recognize the military service and sacrifices made by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples. More than 12,000 Indigenous Peoples served in the First and Second World Wars, as well as the Korean War. This commitment spans over 200 years of military services. A sculpture of a large eagle watches over the images of four men and women, representing the diversity of Indigenous Peoples at the  National Aboriginal Veterans Monument that stands proudly in Ottawa. A wolf, bear, bison and caribou represent values held by many Indigenous Peoples guard the four corners.

This day of acknowledgement was established in 1994.

Walter Goodleaf of Kahnawake was inducted into the Ontario Lacrosse Hall of Fame on Saturday. He says he got to play alongside some greats in town:

“I’m still taking it all in, it’s an unbelievable feeling, a feeling of joy, gratefulness and at the same time, felling loved. It was an amazing thing there.”

Goodleaf joins other elite local talent on the Hall:

“I thought that I played really well during my career. When I was notified that I was being selected to the Hall of Fame, on the website I had seen several players from Kahnàwake that I played with, so it made me wonder a little bit, because I played with all these guys. I’m glad that I’m with them.”

Walter J. Sakaronhia “Butch” Goodleaf was an outstanding athlete in every sport he played, including as a Lacrosse Player. Playing for the Caughnawaga Indians, Goodleaf was respected for his unselfish play and dedication to his team and was a leader on every team he played for, often earning him the role of team captain.