A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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By Darren Bonaparte Visitors to the Akwesasne Powwow may have noticed some new additions to the grounds of the A'nowara'ko:wa Arena: three new historical markers, the first of twelve that celebrate the history of Akwesasne. I am proud to say that I have been a part of this project. I researched and wrote the text of these markers and came up with the overall design. My daughter Jade Thompson, a graduate of the art program at St. Lawrence College in Brockville, did the pyrographic art that...
Rahiá:tons: Darren Bonaparte Rotinatahré:nen tsi nón:we ne Ahkwesáhshne Tethotinonniáhkwen wahónttoke iehskaiehstánion kahentà:ke ne A'nowara'kó:wa Tsi Teiontsihkwa'ekstáhkhwa áhsen ní:kon á:se tsi nikiohtón:ne kaieronni'tstánion, ne kiokirénhton ne tékeni iawén:re thí:ken wahonten'nikonhrorià:ne ne tsi nontaiohtonhákie ne Ahkwesáhshne. Wakatshennón:ni akì:ron tsi kià:tare kí:ken kaio'ténhsera. Wa'kerihwíhsake tánon wa'khiá:ton tsi nikakarò:ten kí:ken kaieronní'tston tánon wa'kihnís...
It seemed like there were more former chiefs than current chiefs at the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s General Meeting held on Saturday, January 27th. It was hard to tell which agenda item was bringing them all out as each seemed to elicit comments. MCA videotapes their general meetings and publishes them online via Youtube. For those unable to attend, this is a good way to keep up to date on council business. However, certain content, such as land claims information, is edited out, as it is not for the general public but for Akwesasne m...
By Darren Bonaparte (Akwesasne) As was expected, Mohawk elder Tom Sakokwenionkwas Porter packed the house at the Kawehno:ke Community Centre on December 19, 2017. His topic was Condolence - the ceremonies and customs related to death - but he managed to keep things on the lighter side. The event was sponsored by the Tekanikonrahwa:kon Wholistic Health & Wellness Program of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Looking around the hall, it was apparent that folks had come far and wide to hear the...
The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council held its first public meeting of the New Year on Saturday, January 6, with Chief Eric Thompson as chair. Community members were given annual updates by the agriculture and home improvement programs as well as the Elders Benefit Working Group. There was also an announcement about an expansion of Snow Removal Services. Wally Ransom presented about the Tribe’s Agriculture program and the various initiatives they’ve begun. Ransom said, “People once took great pride in food, because it took a lot of work to cr...
(Akwesasne) At the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne’s final general meeting of the year, Grand Chief Abram Benedict presented an overview of the proposed “Alternative Reporting” concept proposed for Kawehnoke by Canadian customs officials. According to the plan, an automated inspection station will be constructed in the paved area close to where the Kawehnoke port of entry once stood. Akwesasne residents visiting or returning home to Kawehnoke will be able to use this alternative reporting method rather than proceeding across the next bridge to repo...
Lora Lee LaFrance of the Office for the Aging gave a presentation on winter services. James Ransom gave an update on SRMT Elders Benefit Working Group, saying their work is completed and will be presented at a public meeting on January 10th of next year. Tsiorasa Barreiro announced that the deadline for comments on the SRMT 2018 budget has expired, and there have been no comments from the community. After being questioned about it by a community member, the SRMT announced that the General Manager of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and Resort has...
(Akwesasne) It’s not every day you go to a meeting and learn that the building it’s being held in is slated for destruction. But that is exactly what happened on Saturday morning. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council disclosed at their December meeting that the Community Building—the place where everyone was gathered—is slated to be torn down. This did not go over well with community members, including at least two former chiefs. The Community Building has stood since the 1970s. It is scheduled to be torn down to make way for an additio...
(Akwesasne) The St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council held their monthly public meeting this Saturday, October 14th to present updates on the recent Northern Border Summit and the Patent Project. Two-dozen community members were present. Chief Eric Thompson chaired the meeting and gave an update on the success of the Northern Border Summit held August 20-21 at Shakopee’s Mystic Lake Casino and Hotel in Shakopee, Minnesota. The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe partnered with the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho to hold the summit. According to Chief Thompson, the 1...
As a Mohawk historian who uses wampum belts to tell our story, I have always loved the Two Row Wampum Belt and its metaphor of the native canoe and European ship sailing side by side down the river of life. Nothing pleases me more to see this acted out in modern times on the Hudson River this summer, with parallel rows of canoes, kayaks and watercraft—including an impressive, newly-carved dugout canoe serving as flagship. The principles of peace and friendship are exactly what the original wampu...
October 23, 1812: The Skirmish at St. Regis Two hundred years ago today, one of the early skirmishes in the War of 1812 took place, but there are no re-enactments taking place where the clash occurred. That’s because it happened in the village of Kanatakon, or St. Regis, here in Akwesasne...and it might not be a great idea to have hundreds of non-native reenactors sneaking around Akwesasne with rifles in hand at five o’clock in the morning. Due to its location on the border between the US and Canada as well as on the St. Lawrence River, Akw...
“We will live together or die together. We promise this as long as water runs, skies do shine, and night brings rest.” The Akwesasne Wolf Belt, which was repatriated to our community in recent years, will be formally installed at the Akwesasne Cultural Center on Saturday, September 4th, 2010. What is the story behind the belt, and what significance does it have for modern Akwesasronon? An oral tradition about the belt was recorded for posterity in the years before it left the community und...
