A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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By Mahlon Smoke In the last days of August, a young mother of five and along with her husband, packed their belongings and moved to Tsikaristisere a.k.a Dundee, QC. "The women of Akwesasne are finally doing what we spoke of doing, taking back our land and our language. As women, not only the land, but the water is our responsibility. Keeping the language alive for the future generations is also a major responsibility, it's a weight that all of our people must carry, said Jackie Kaiatihtakhe...
By Mahlon Smoke The Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) held a radiothon and spaghetti dinner to raise money for their programs. Covid-19 has impacted many businesses and programs since early spring and this has left a huge loss in the budget for the Club. Thanks to the kind hearts of the community donating and buying the dinners that the staff at the ABGC were able to raise over $10,000 dollars. The Boys and Girls Club, despite the pandemic halting all summer activities and gatherings held a...
By Mahlon Smoke The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, with Tewathahonni Corporation, SRMT’s Section 17 holding company, held a meeting that was open to community members to discuss an upcoming Cannabis Medical Research Project by partnering with MMJ pharmaceutical. The virtual meeting was held through Zoom on September 10th, 2020 with all the Tewathahonni Board members and open to the community. The purpose of the said meeting was to introduce community members to MMJ Pharmaceutical, go through the financial benefits of this partnership, and discuss w...
By Mahlon Smoke Ratewenniio Evan George will be featured in a remix of Samad Savage's "Goodnight" where they combine heavy metal with hip hop. George has always loved playing guitar and drums since he was a child. Its a love that has grown to writing his own music, producing, studying and teaching music all while continuing to play guitar and drums. Savage tweeted out, asking if someone could make a rock remix of his song "Goodnight." I thought he was joking' George said. Sure enough, George...
By Mahlon Smoke The tagline for an upcoming short film named "Water Moccasins" is "A legend that should have never been told," and was directed, shot, and edited by Jaiden Mitchell and written by Shelby Adams. The film tells the story of "A group of indigenous students who seek the truth behind a legend that their grandfather tells them" according to Mitchell and Adams. Adams said she was inspired by Covid-19, "I wanted to write a film that would allow us to have all the precautions in place."...
By Mahlon Smoke Backyard Bioblitz encourages families to explore and document the environment from their own back yards. Akwesasne is a wonderful and diverse environmental place that is still being observed and explored to this day. That is why the Bioblitz is being held by the MCA Environment Department to help families and individuals understand and examine the life that is right in their backyard. A Bioblitz is defined by Jacey Hall, Field Technician, as “large in-person gathering where people go to a specific area and in 24 hours they i...
By Mahlon Smoke August 28th marked the re-opening of the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino to the community after six months of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic. During that time the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino staff have been hard at work to ensure the safety of every guest who enters the building. Now that the Casino has re-opened, staff members were glad to be back in business and adjust to the 'new normal'. Following New York State and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe mandates, the casino has a mandatory...
By Mahlon Smoke Covid-19 has made a lot of things uncertain as students and teachers prepare for the upcoming school year. As many Elementary, Middle and High schools prepare to protect the students and keep everyone safe, many College students who are beginning or returning find themselves either on or off-campus, some staying home as schools offer Online schooling only, and others using different methods to finish up their final years. One college student, Kanenishon Arquette, is studying at SUNY Potsdam for her Early Childhood Education...
By Mahlon Smoke During the summer, the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club has been providing a great service for the community children all in quarantine. Offering food pickups, online activities, and mobile activities while following saftey measures to protect staff and children alike. But while the doors of the Boys and Girls Club remained closed, the parking lot was paved over and painted through Housing, who had received Covid-19 Care’s Act money, which was allocated in March. They hired a contractor to help them with that. At the main club h...
By Mahlon Smoke With summer ending and the pandemic still ongoing, one topic has permeated the discussion: are schools going to reopen? Since March, schools all over the country shut down with many children completing their school year online. This meant many high school seniors would have to finish their year without prom, senior skip and even much more scarce senior graduations. As families adjust to what many are calling the “New Normal” schools have to decide if it is okay to open up again. Salmon River Central School has already ann...
By Mahlon Smoke The Mohawk Nation Longhouse cookhouse is in need of repairs; the roof tiles need fixing, the deck of the cookhouse is being replaced, the stairs and so much more. Since the building of the Mohawk Nation Longhouse, gatherings for the cycle of ceremonies, along with weddings and funerals have brought the community together. But a building like Mohawk Nation Longhouse and its cookhouse must be maintained, that is why the Fund-Raising Committee was formed to raise funds to do just...
By Mahlon Smoke Since March of this year the Akwesasne Cultural Center has been closed to the public. Many exhibits untouched, yet taken care of by the staff, cleaning the display glass and making sure everything was set to reopen. Once reopened - there will be many changes to how things will be run and how many people will be able to enter the building at any given time. A staff member will take the temperature of everyone entering the museum and their contact number will be taken. Once inside...
By Mahlon Smoke The Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club (ABGC) offers an after-school program that gives kids a place to learn, to play, provides meals for children and provides activities for children during the long summer. But like many facilities and programs this year, the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club has put a hold on their operations due to Covid-19 and the global pandemic. However, despite these hardships, the ABGC provides curbside pick-up for food prepared by the club’s cooks and limited activities that families can do together at home. T...
By Mahlon Smoke BLOOD QUANTUM is a Canadian Horror film where the world falls to a zombie uprising with the exception of Mi'qmaq people who are immune to the virus. The community must fight against the zombie horde as well as come in conflict with non-native refugees trying to make their way into the reservation. The film offers good horror, great action, and social commentary about colonialism. The film is directed by Jeff Barnaby, who previously directed Rhymes for Young Ghouls, another film...
By Mahlon Smoke As cities around the country marched in solidarity with the unjust death of George Floyd in Minneapolis during the first week of June, protests and riots broke out against police brutality and systemic racism. On June 3rd, the police 3rd precinct building was abandoned by the police on orders of the mayor as protestors marched on the building. The building was set ablaze later that night during a raid on the building. As the fires raged on, it spread to the neighborhood, which included the post office and tragically, the Migizi...
By Mahlon Smoke As Covid-19 continues to be cause for caution for anyone who ventures outside for essential items and travel only, the Akwesasne Roadside Cleanup pared down their goals and still did an awesome job of keeping Akwesasne clean. Every year the Akwesasne community comes together to clean out the roadsides, often cleaning miles from home and then placing the garbage bags on alongside of the road. This year brought new concerns about the Cleanup due to Covid-19 and the Pandemic....
By Mahlon Smoke On May 25, 2020, a viral video shocked and disturbed many showing George Floyd, an African-American man, handcuffed, on the ground, and neck kneeled on for around 9 minutes by Derek Chauvin, a Minneapolis officer who already had 18 complaints against him. This led to his death and what followed was online outrage to another example of a police officer killing another unarmed black man, but general police brutality. With Covid-19 ravaging the country and pulling the curtain back on all the societal wrongs, millions losing their...
By Mahlon Smoke BARKSKINS centers on a group of settlers in the late 1600's who find themselves struggling for survival, conflicting loyalties, and finding themselves at odds with the Native people who still are in the area. The mini-series is based on book by Annie Proulx and the TV series will star prominent actors such as Steven McCarthy, David Thewlis, and Kaniehtiio Horn (Kahnawake) as Mari. Kaniehtiio Horn isn't the only a Mohawk actor featured in this series, but other actors from...
By Mahlon Smoke At the beginning of May, New York State Governor Cuomo announced that all schools and universities will remain closed for the rest of the academic year. Surprising families and students everywhere and leaving a lot of high school seniors of 2020 without the experiences they’ve been looking forward to. No prom, no graduation ceremony, no sporting events, and the possibility of delaying opening up colleges in the fall, a lot of students are beginning to feel downtrodden about the situation. But all over New York State, counties a...
By Mahlon Smoke Being cooped up in the house for months can start to wear at one's mind, especially in uncertain times like what we're living in. Events left and right are being cancelled and postponed due to the Coronavirus has left many dancers, singers, and artists without a place to share their crafts. However, Vicky Horn of Akwesasne Child and Family Services decided the best way to bring some joy into the community was to hold a Facebook Competition for many Jingle and Smoke Dancers. Conte...
By Mahlon Smoke We are currently living in medical history, the Coronavirus or COVID-19 has caused widespread panic and quarantined families into their homes. "Social Distancing" has become a common phrase and life in Akwesasne has altered completely; but that doesn't mean the various families who are stuck in quarantine are letting that get them down. Two sisters, Chantelle Beeson and Okiokwinon Chelsea Francis have both been in quarantine with their families, but both sisters are not letting...
By Mahlon Smoke The Akwesasne Winter Carnival is a time for the community to come together to participate in games, visit family, friends, and express themselves creatively. This year the Winter Carnival hosted a Cake Boss Competition where each baker had to structure a cake with a winter theme. Each cake would be judged on looks, decoration skills, and taste. The winning cake was announced on that Sunday at the Winter Carnival dinner and was served to the community as dessert. Each baker put a...
By Mahlon Smoke For many youths in Akwesasne, they want a way to get reconnected with their roots and their culture. For the next generation there are more and more opportunities for youths to learn their language, sing songs, and learn through the previous generations who are willing to teach. The Seven Dancers Coalition offers this very thing! Pray Lazore and Harvey Herne lead a singing and drumming circle with young people who are willing to learn and sing along every Tuesday evening. Herne...
By Mahlon Smoke For the last decade, the people of the world have been waking up to climate change and the importance of our Environment. While many Indigenous groups have been outspoken about this issue, it seems now the voices of the people are being heard. Now the International Secretariat of Water and the Environmental Department of Mohawk Council are teaming up to further include the youth of Akwesasne into the new program, “Youth for the Environment”, a program meant to promote and teach anyone interested in water advocacy skills. Wat...
By Mahlon Smoke The year 2020 is here and why not start it off right with some barrels of laughs with the improv group Completely Stranded. About 12 years ago a small group of improv artists began working together to perform for audiences all across New York State. While members have come and gone, the last five years has had the same members, Merritt Billiter, Jason Borrie, Tiana Marrero and Andrew Ducharme. On January 11th, this funny group of improv artists will be performing at the St....
