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A vote will be held in Kahnawake over two days to determine what to do with the remains of Father Leon Lajoie who was the Priest at the Kateri Catholic Church in Kahnawake. He died in 1999 and was buried on the grounds. There was a survey held in the community earlier this year asking Kahnawakero:non if the Priest should be exhumed or left where he is. An independent report was also released from the Jesuits of Canada into allegations of abuse against Lajoie. That report concluded there were no credible reports of abuse.

“The vote is going to be held on two days, Friday March 25th and on Saturday,” Maris Jacobs, told the Morning D on K1037. Jacobs is the Special Projects Coordinator at PlanIT Consulting and Communications which is overseeing the vote in Kahnawake. “The polls will open at 10 am Friday, the 25th, and they will close at 8 pm. The following day they will open back up at 8 am and polls will officially close at 4 pm. After which counting of the ballots will continue. You need to be on the KKR (Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry). Membership will be present at the Golden Age Club.”

Registration for the 2022 minor lacrosse, soccer, and baseball seasons is taking place now. The Sports and Recreation Unit of the MCK saying that the deadline to register your child for lacrosse is Friday, April 29^th, with all registration forms ready for download at: www.kahnawake.com/org/sru/ . Parents are being reminded that they must first register their child or children on the: www.sportzsoft.com/regApp/Login?OrgId=4056 website prior to making a payment at the Sports Complex.

For more information, you can contact the Kahnàwake Sports Complex at: 450-638-3311.

Applications for Recognition on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry (“KKR”) have been made by The Office of the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry (OKKR) Registrar since 2019, in line with the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Law which came into effect on Ohiarihkó:wa/July 3^rd, 2018. All of those citizens added to the KKR were required to possess a minimum of four (4) eligible great-grandparents and a minimum of two (2) Kanien’kehá:ka great-grandparents. Melanie Gilbert is the OKKR General Manager for client-based services:

“We put out a press release yesterday listing the adults who were approved to be added to the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry, between the months of February and August of 2021. It ended in August because that’s when I was no longer the Registrar.”

Up to the end of this past January, 48 people have been added to the KKR including 21 adults and 27 children. The list can be accessed on the OKKR website. The current total on the Kahnawà:ke Kanien’kehá:ka Registry to date is 6,552 people. Kahnawa’kehró:non must acquire a Secure Certificate of Indian Status through Canada which is a completely different process that does NOT automatically give persons recognition on the KKR.

There has been an increase in cases of COVID-19 in all three units of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC). It is due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. According to Executive Director Lisa Westaway, all of the patients are said to be doing very well.  However, the number of cases is still expected to rise in the coming days.

Visitation remains closed to all, with exceptions made for natural caregivers.

Some staff has been impacted as well. Several Paramedics from the Kahnawake Fire Brigade are working shifts at the KMHC.

“They were requested again to help out at the inpatient to assist the nurses yesterday for the week,” said David Scott, the Chief of the Kahnawake Fire Brigade. “They requested a week again from seven in the morning to 11 at night so we filled as many spots as we can with the paramedics. They need help again and that’s what we’re here for.”

Scott says that will not affect ambulance response times in the community.

“It will never affect the operation of our ambulances,” he said. “That was the first point that was put out to all the paramedics, that the ambulance schedule has to be maintained 24 hours, seven days a week and it will not affect our response at all.”

There has been an increase in cases of COVID-19 in all three units of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center (KMHC). It is due to the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. According to hospital officials, all of the patients are said to be “doing very well.”

However, the number of cases is still expected to rise in the coming days.

Visitation remains closed to all, with exceptions made for natural caregivers.

Some staff has been impacted as well. Several Paramedics from the Kahnawake Fire Brigade are working shifts at the KMHC. Some outpatient services will be placed on hold beginning today so that staffing can be prioritized for inpatient care.

Kahnawà:ke Public Health and Public Safety says the community that Kahnawà:ke is currently experiencing multiple outbreaks and an overall spike of COVID-19 cases. Lloyd Phillips is the Commissioner of Public Safety who encourages you to remain vigilant:

“At this point it’s random, we’re getting multiple reports of people within households, obviously KMHC put out a press release regarding the outbreak at their facility. We’re getting various information throughout the community from various sources, so again, it’s manageable, but definitely we want to ensure that people are once again made aware of the basics: masks, distancing, hygiene, well ventilation are still important.”

If you are sick or having symptoms, please stay home and get tested. You can still get vaccinated or receive booster doses by appointment at Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre by calling 450-638-3930, extension 2243.

Five local males reported their wallets were stolen from their dressing room while they were on the ice between 7 and 8:30 on Saturday evening at the Kahnawake Sports Complex. The Kahnawake Peacekeepers say the file is under investigation. They are looking at security camera footage. They are recommending that all who use the Sports Complex obtain a lock with either a key, or combination release to secure the dressing rooms while using the playing surface.

In a release from the the Kateri Memorial Hospital (KMHC) Saturday afternoon, they are providing an update to the
current outbreak that was announced Friday, March 18th.
“In order to gain a better understanding of the current outbreak in inpatient, all
visitation is on hold until further notice,” the hospital stated in a release.
“KMHC staff are currently contacting family members to advise them of this urgent
closure. If you have not yet been reached, you will be shortly. Only identified natural caregivers will be allowed entry to the units at this time,” the KMHC said in the statement.

The Executive Summary of the investigation into allegations of sexual abuse against the late Fr. Leon Lajoie is online for you to read at www.kahnawake.com/lajoie. There is also a video version of the summary on the KTV web site in which investigator Brian King of the King International Advisory Group, explains the summary saying in the end only one credible  victim came forward.

“We did find that one person was abused, we just can’t support the position it was Father Lajoie.”

King says the evidence shows this person was assaulted at St. Francis Xavier. and in his opinion the Jesuits hold some culpability for the fact that a young child was victimized at the mission.

A COVID-19 outbreak has been identified at KMHC inpatient.

Five  people have tested positive for the coronavirus. All 5 currently have mild symptoms and

are doing well.

Immediate measures are being implemented to ensure the health and safety of the

residents and staff during this outbreak:

Identified residents and staff have been screened and are in isolation. There will be no visitation to Unit 1 for the duration of the outbreak (14 days following last identified case). At this time, visitation is stopped until April 1st, 2022. This could be extended if new cases are identified.

Natural Caregivers remain able to visit on Unit 1 in certain circumstances.

Please speak with the manager of the Unit to assess your specific situation.