MCK Meeting With Indigenous Affairs Minister Goes Well

Members of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake held a meeting with Quebec’s Minister Responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Ian Lafrenière on Monday afternoon. Held by videoconference, it was a second meeting in three months since he was named to the job.

On the agenda: The Quebec-Kahnawake Relations Relationship Framework and the Mercier Bridge Memorandum of Understanding.

“The concerns about getting the work done because of the lack of the safety of the structure,” said MCK Chief Gina Deer. “It’s been a priority, so we had a discussion on that. How we need to move forward and collaborate through this. It’s important that we get information out to the community that things are happening so that they’re clear that they’re not going to be taking more land. That’s one of the bigger issues for our community members. It’s not a total new bridge, it’s a portion of the bridge that will be replaced.” The Kahnawake bound Quebec portion of the bridge needs to be replaced. That is the southbound portion from LaSalle to halfway across the St-Lawrence River.

Deer says they are hoping for a meeting between all the MCK Chiefs and Premier Francois Legault in the next few months. “Due to COVID we have not had that meeting. And with the loss of the Grand Chief things were really pushed back. But we are looking to have that meeting with the entire council and hopefully before July (MCK Elections). So that’s still a priority for moving the relationship forward.”