A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Each November, businesses across North America encourage locals to shop small. It’s a way of bringing in locals (and visitors) to shop in their own hometown, in shops run by your neighbor, your cousin, or just someone you know. There are many reasons to shop small and I’ve listed ten of them below. These are the stores that create jobs, help build our community, and the Iaksotha and Rakeni (Mom and Pop) stores whose every presence makes your neighborhood a neighborhood. Shop Small was created in 2010 by American Express to encourage shoppers to...
The Akwesasne Coalition for Community Empowerment organized an outstanding event for teens and those adults who can go face to face with "Zombies" on Friday, October 25, 2013. Targeted at teens, the "Zombie Infested Obstacle Course" was enjoyed by anyone over the age of 11 and had nerves of steel to ward off all the zombies while making it through the obstacle course. And if screaming for your life by being scared out of your wits is enjoyment, then the evening was pure joy. Planning for this...
On Sunday, October 20, 2013 the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk was held in Syracuse. More than 5,800 people took part in the annual walk that raised over $300,000, and at least 66 of those walkers were from Akwesasne. Each year Tina’s Pride travels to Syracuse for the Making Stride’s Against Breast Cancer Walk. Last year alone, Tina’s Pride members raised and donated over $13,000 dollars. What started as a memorial to Courtney King and her family’s beloved Ista Tina, the walk has bec...
On Saturday, October 19, 2013 the Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club along with the ACCE (Akwesasne Coalition for Community Empowerment) held a free family event at the Tewathahita Walking Trail and benefitting the Torch Club. Torch Clubs are charter small-group leadership and service clubs within the Akwesasne Boys & Girls Club for boys and girls ages 11-13. A Torch Club is a powerful vehicle through which Club staff can help meet the special character development needs of younger adolescents at a...
We’ve all been living here for many years now and let’s face it - we live in a climate with cold temperature for at least six months of the year. And we all know the dangers of driving an unsafe vehicle during the winter. They make for great stories in the spring but not while you’re broke down and freezing while waiting for help to arrive. These tips can serve as handy reminders you can take to stay safe and keep your vehicle in good working order this winter. In fact the following tips literally could be life saving. 1. GET THE RIGHT KIND...
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month and Kanni Francis, Program Manager of the Three Sisters Program (SRMT) organized, in collaboration with the Native Women’s Association of Canada, a gathering “Sisters in Spirits” on Friday, October 4, 2013. The Sisters in Spirits first vigil started in 2006 with 11 vigils held across Canada. The next year 19 more cities joined, and in 2008 over 40 cities and communities had joined in to bring awareness and pay respect to the missing and m...
In what was supposed to be a “Rally” to bring awareness to the number of land disputes in Akwesasne turned into a planning session. Key people at the session were disappointed, but not discouraged by the lack of support shown on Monday, October 8, 2013 at the crossing on Kawhenoke. According to sources there are at least over 200 unresolved land disputes in the northern portion of Akwesasne. In a complicated and convoluted system created by Indian Affairs to handle land transfers, land grants, and land willed, the system becomes even more com...
The Mohawk Immersion Program teacher at the Akwesasne Freedom School in Level 2/3 has developed a new program to strengthen and enhance the curriculum. The teacher, Kawennahente has been teaching at the Freedom School for over six years and has taken the Level 2/3 curriculum developed by the school to a new level. She and her Teacher’s Aide are taking a different approach to teaching the curriculum. Her classroom is now a replica of a Longhouse with the north, east and west walls painted to l...
Nikaiataa Skidders, Larry Lee Skidders and friends Bill North, Ed Bressette and Brian Vanderwalker, recently participated in one of the toughest obstacle races in the country, The Spartan Race in Killington, Vermont on Saturday, September 21, 2013. Created in 2005 by seven athletes and a Royal Marine, the race consist of four categories; Spartan Sprint, Super Spartan, Spartan Beast and the Ultra Best Marathon. The Spartan Race at Killington was also the site for the championship race with a...
On Saturday, September 21, 2013 the St. Regis Recreation Center was transformed into a sensory awaking experience for the ears, the eyes and the soul. The Onkwehon:we Arts Council, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne combined their resources for the singular goal to have a venue to showcase a variety of artistic genres in one event. There was intricate beadwork, gallery quality paintings and pottery, carvings, and to the surprise of the little ones who attended, an eye...
The summer has seen many races throughout the eastern states and southern Ontario, but the end of summer seems to bring out the best in people. Many races are run as charity races for good causes and the “Color Me Rad’ held in Albany, New York on September 21, 2013 was no exception as participants ran for the Special Olympics. Two local women, Konwahahawi Herne and Chanel Cook ran the 5K race along with 250 other people who ran their hearts out for those in need. As much as the runners are hel...
During the summer, each Sunday afternoon you can find a number of people at the old IGA parking lot racing their cars and traveling at least 55 miles an hour. Not real cars, but remote control cars. The local Akwesasne RC (Remote Control) Race Club have run their races at the old IGA parking lots all summer, but with the winter months approaching, they are looking for a building. Their races are a drug and alcohol free activity that is perfect for the entire family. Fast cars, fast cars and...
Taeko Matsushima and her sister Noriko Ishibashi, along with Noriko’s daughter Mio, visited Akwesasne on Thursday, September 10, 2012, and marked another visit in the long relationship with the people of Akwesasne. This relationship has spanned over 20 years and is part of the Sun Bow 5 Foundation to promote, teach and share techniques and practices, knowledge and history of growing healthy food and living a healthy lifestyle. This relationship started long ago with the venerable Ernest B...
There is a saying, “it takes a whole community to raise a child,” and for the last summer camp of the season an entire community came together to give 20 children a week full of experiences and memories that they will remember for a very long time. It all came together when Mike Loran put into action an idea he had been thinking about for a while. Along with the help and support of Amie Barnes, he pulled together a strong group of people committed to making a difference in a child’s life by crea...
This past weekend, Akwesasne and surrounding communities had the opportunity to take part in a great cultural event – the 13th Annual Akwesasne Powwow held at A’nowara:kowa Arena on Saturday, September 7 and Sunday, September 8, 2013. With two full days of entertainment for the eyes, ears and the soul, this year’s powwow delivered in every aspect. From the visiting cultural exchange group, the Remesha Drum Group, to the visually breathtaking regalia of the dancers, to the variety of powwo...
In a surprise announcement, the new Salmon River Central School High School principal resigned his post on Thursday just days before his official start date of September 3, 2013. Brian LeBaron from Corning, New York and the former principal of Broadway Middle School of Elmira, New York, who left his position last fall, has now resigned as the Salon River Central School High School principal citing conflicts with relocating to the Salmon River Central School District. In what was SRC School Board President Christopher Nye’s high expectations, N...
There are student projects that make news and there are student projects that make history. On Thursday, August 29, 2013, several short films were presented at the St. Regis Mohawk School. Filmed under the direction and tutelage of Katsitsionni Fox and sponsored in part by Salmon River Central School, Title VII, Johnson O’Malley and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Broadband Project, these films range from an entertaining spin on the iconic “Thriller” by Michael Jackson, to what will surely become...
During the past week, students from all areas of Akwesasne had the opportunity to pick up a free school bag from Mohawk Vision and Swamp’s Performance. For Mohawk Vision, this is their fourth year holding Akwesasne “Stuff the Bus,” and they gave out over 400 school bags filled with school supplies. Holding a school supply drive for the first time was Swamp’s Performance. They called their drive “Swamp’s for Students,” and gave out over 25 school bags. Their goal is both simple and yet makes a h...
Six women sat at a table beading with the intensity of skilled surgeons. As serious and focused as they were, there was a sense of calm and serenity about them. Many of the students mentioned how beading is relaxing and how you often find yourself beading for hours without being aware of how much time passes by. Johanne Jackson of the Elder’s Quilt Club wrote for and received funding by the Akwesasne Community Fund to hold a series of craft classes at the St. Regis Recreation Center in K...
Looking for something different and amazing? Just a short drive through the picturesque Adirondacks and nestled in the small town of Onchiota is the Six Nations Indian Museum. In just over an hour’s drive you can be sitting in one of the oldest and most informative museums of the Six Nations. For 59 years the Fadden family, including patriarch Ray Fadden, has been host to people from all over the world; Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Italy, Guatemala, Spain and more. People have travelled from a...
The Konon:kwe Council was created to “reconstruct the power of our origins through collaborative approaches to the care, empowerment, and transformation of a traumatized indigenous community.” Beverly Cook, Jessica Danforth, and Katsi Cook were concerned about the severity, frequency and the hidden nature of violence in Akwesasne, and with this in mind they created the Konon:kwe Council. It was formed by proactive women who saw a need to help women and men who have been traumatized by violence, and they made the collective decision to do som...
Her baskets have been shown in three continents in world-class museums, one of her baskets was presented to Pope Benedict at the Vatican, and now ten lucky students had the opportunity to learn from master basketmaker Sheila Ransom. Children from 9 years old to 14 years old met two times a week for a two-hour class at the Akwesasne Museum. Ms. Ransom’s specialty is making fancy baskets, but for this class she taught the skills she had learned from another master basketmaker, Henry Arquette, t...
Let’s face it, it’s the end of July, we are hearing advertisements for the Franklin County Fair, the Sate Fair and more. Summer is coming to an end and school is just waiting to start all over again. Whether you have a student entering grade 3 or their freshman year at college, a laptop has become an indispensable tool to learn. It’s great for students who play sports - they can work on homework while traveling, in the hotel room or at some point during your weekend on the road for your child’s favorite sport. Buying a laptop can be overwhe...
Besides sharing the same bloodline and family ties, two cousins share a passion for Remote Control racing, so much so they started a new club that runs every Sunday. Taylor Barnes and Wilbur “Junior” Barnes and Junior’s son Brandon, created the “Mohawk RC Raceway” which runs every Sunday from 1pm until 5pm. They are located at the old IGA parking lot, across from the Casino. Children and adults, experienced racers, beginners and people who have never raced, are welcome to join at no cost to race...
Kanenhiio Ionkwaiontonhakie held its first Farmer’s Market on Sunday, July 9, 2013, and despite the rainy weather, the organizers and founders of Kanenhiio Ionkwaiontonhakie are optimistic about the future of the Farmer’s Market and its gardens that produce all organically grown crops. Kanenhiio Ionkwaiontonhakie was started with the intention of becoming food sovereign. “Food sovereignty” is a term coined by members of Via Campesina in 1996, this asserts the right of people to define their o...