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The Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office (KEPO) has completed the Tekakwitha Island and Bay Restoration project. Over the past several months, the primary focus has been on installing trees, shrubs, and aquatic plants across the project zones. Patrick Regaz is the General Manager of Field Science at KEPO:

“Feels great, I think we have a really good project completed now and obviously there’s a lot of on-going monitoring, maintenance and upkeep and so on. Definitely great to have the bulk of the project complete.”

Overall, the project included dredging 5,000 cubic meters of sediment from the bay, the creation of two large wetland features, natural access points to the water, a community beach, removal of invasive species and replacement with diverse native plants and other amenities. Regaz says the project was always done with the community in mind:

“We always had the community’s needs in mind as well as the wildlife and the environment, so we were really trying to marry the 2 with everything that we did. The project started with a focus on the bay itself and dredging and trying to improve access for the canoe club and fisheries in the bay and expanded to include some work on the island as well so I’m really hopeful that the community will appreciate the changes that have been made.”

A grand opening for the project will be held in the Spring of 2023.

Angus L. Montour has been named as the Electoral Officer for an additional upcoming By-Election to elect a replacement for Barton Goodleaf, who resigned his position as Ratsénhaienhs (elected Council Chief) on Monday.

The Executive Office of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke making the announcement following the resignation that became official after his letter of resignation was read into the official minutes of the special Tuesday Council meeting that was called to address the matter.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake held a major news conference this afternoon addressing the criminal investigation in the Housing department. The Crown Prosecutor will not be proceeding with any prosecution of the Housing Unit’s scandal that cost the MCK $695 000 dollars. Ratitsénhaienhs Onerahtókha Karlie Marquis is the MCK’s Executive Director:

“It is unfortunate, but the Crown ultimately determined that the administrative issues within the Housing and Accounting Departments would make it difficult to secure a conviction. Nonetheless we are extremely pleased with the efforts of the Kahnàwake Peacekeepers Investigators who had invested the last several years on this case, who aimed to ensure that those responsible were held accountable for their actions.”

The story first broke in June 2018 when several families received threats of eviction notices for non-payment of rent or mortgages. Ratitsénhaienhs  Ryan Montour is the Housing Unit Portfolio Lead:

“My countless interaction with community members, who were brave and courageous, sharing their stories of pain and anger that was instilled upon them from an organization that was supposed to help them, many tears were shed throughout this process as we are all humans. We’re taking ownership of the role that the Housing Department and Accounting played in this, for this I will take the opportunity now to apologize for the Office of the Council of Chiefs, we are truly sorry to each and everyone of you.”

An audit found that the money that allegedly went missing from the Housing Unit at the MCK was over a period of 10 years, resulting in the scandal breaking in the summer of 2018.

You have a platform, so The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is suggesting you use it. Ratitsénhaienhs will be available to meet with community members in kiosk-style Community Engagement sessions, both of which will be held at the Golden Age Club. The sessions are scheduled for: Friday, November 4th, from 2:30pm to 5pm and Thursday, November 17th, from 2:30pm to 5pm.

The community engagement kiosks are events that are open only to Kahnawa’kehró:non.

A significant announcement from the Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre (KMHC) this afternoon that the hospital has engaged four physicians who will join its family medicine team this fall. Dr. Rachael Eniojukan, Director of Professional Services at the KMHC declaring:

“Family physicians are the linchpin of our heath care system, providing front line services, while referring patients for specialized care as required. Our community, like communities across Quebec and Canada, has suffered from a shortage of family doctors for some time. The recruitment of these four talented physicians is a critical step forward, allowing us to better serve residents who have been on a waiting list for some time.”

The staff additions include: Dr. Si Wen Jin, and Dr. Handsun Xiao, who have already been offering family medicine services, while Dr. Nathalie Gans and Dr. Jennifer Campbell will be starting in November, 2022.

The new members of the KMHC’s family medicine practice will progressively take-on new patients from Kahnawà:ke and patients with current, active files at the KMHC

Ratitsénhaienhs Barton Goodleaf has resigned from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.  Goodleaf was elected to the position in the July, 2021 MCK general election. At the time of his resignation, he was the lead on the Health Portfolio, as well as being a member of several other Portfolio teams.

It’s not an easy decision,” Goodleaf told K1037 News. “The community put their faith in me and I wholeheartedly appreciate the whole community putting their faith in me and me expecting to perform miracles and to do the job to the best of my ability. It wasn’t an easy decision to resign. Very hard. Very hard tough decision to make. I wanted to say to the community that it’s been an honour to serve our community. I love our community.”

Ohen:ton Íien:te ne Ratitsénhaienhs (Grand Chief) Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer telling K1037 News that he will be missed:

“Some disappointment, another council member leaving,” Sky-Deer told K1037 News. “I think his reasons are more personal. He sent us a message in our chiefs group chat on Monday expressing that it was hard for him to come to this decision but he didn’t come to it lightly. He wrestled with it but ultimately it was the decision that he needed to make. Obviously the timing of it isn’t the greatest in terms of voting is this evening for the election coming up this Saturday, by-election to fill the seat for AJ (Rice).”

As per the Kahnawake Election Law, further information on a pending By-election to address the resulting vacancy will be issued by the MCK Executive Office within the next five (5) days.

The official list for the vacant seat on the Mohawk Council of Kahnàwake is now confirmed. There are three (3) candidates for the position of Ratsénhaienhs in the upcoming By-Election: Iohahi:io (Wahi:io) DELISLE; David A DIABO; and Stephan MCCOMBER. Nominations for the MCK Elected Council Chief were collected by Electoral Officer Angus Montour and Assistant Electoral Officer Muriel White-Rice at the Kahnawake Services Complex on Saturday, October 22^nd.

Election Day will be held on Saturday, November 5^th, from 9am until 4pm at the Karonhianónhnha Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa School gymnasium.

A temporary gate will be erected on the Tioweró:ton Territory at the beginning of the road heading to the North House. The Tioweró:ton Department of the Lands Unit saying that the gate was removed from the Fire Road and refurbished. Over the past few years, non-locals have been attempting to use the Territory as a shortcut, getting stuck in the winter, with many not equipped for the cold temperatures. On numerous occasions, the Caretakers have had to pull them out because tow trucks cannot access the road or pick up persons walking looking for help. It also puts undue stress on the Lands Unit vehicles which are not intended to be used in towing capacities.  Veronica Leborgne is the General Manage of Lands Operations at the Lands Unit:

“We’re placing it at the beginning of the road heading up toward the North House, which is where Wendy and Gerry live, the 2 caretakers. The reason for it’s installation is because during the winter months over the past few years a lot of non-locals try and access that road and it’s really not passable by a vehicle, so they often get stuck there sometimes for hours. The caretakers have been pretty lucky that they haven’t found anyone frozen to death on that road. They have been using it as a short-cut to try and get to the other side, so the purpose of the gate is to try and prevent the non-locals from using that road during the winter and getting stuck there.”

While side by sides and snowmobiles will still be able to access the road, the gate is meant to prevent cars from accessing the road during the winter. Cars will continue to have access while the road remains passable, after which the Gate will be closed. The Gate will be installed in the coming days before the ground freezes. It will be opened or removed next spring, depending on how successful it is deemed to have been this winter.

Meet the Candidates Night is this Thursday, October 27^th, at the Knights of Columbus Hall from 6pm to 11pm. According to The Office of the Electoral Officer, the event is scheduled for a maximum of five hours and will end at 11pm. There are three individuals nominated for the 2022 Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke By-Election. Their candidacies will be made official by noon tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26^th, following due process by the Electoral Officer.

All candidates will have five (5) minutes to speak to the community with their speeches being made live over the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke Facebook platform and simultaneously broadcast for listening right here on K1037 Radio, your community radio station. The speech’s will be followed by a question-and-answer period after the candidates all present their platforms. This portion will not be broadcast.

The By-Election will be held on Saturday, November 5^th, at Karonhianónhnha Tsi Ionterihwaienstáhkhwa School gymnasium. For full details on the elections process, please visit www.kahnawakeelections.com.

Brendan Montour has been appointed as the new Director of the Capital Unit of The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke. Montour began his MCK career back in 1986 as a technician for the construction of the Sports Complex and continued working as a summer student in-between semester studying at CEGEP for Mechanical Engineering Technology. After graduating, he began working full-time at the Capital Unit in February, 1989. Montour was the Director of Public Works until August of this year when he was asked to assist at the Capital Unit. During this time, Martin Morris has been filling the role of Acting Director of Public Works. A final determination on that position is expected shortly.

Brendan Montour formally begins his new role on October 31, 2022.