A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
Sorted by date Results 51 - 75 of 155
By Mahlon Smoke Last year the members of Iakwa'shatste Youth Fitness held a month-long event to celebrate and promote fitness with family, especially during the Holiday season. This year they decided to have one big event and combine it with the Christmas season. So, Iakwa'shatste along with Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, Wholistic Health and Akwesasne Child and Family Services teamed up for a night dedicated to health, Christmas, and family fun. Not only did families get to dress up in their...
By Mahlon Smoke What started as a simple idea bloomed into a full-on party right after the Parade of Lights. Set in the Solomon Travis Lacrosse Memorial Box with decorations of presents, Whoville memorabilia, a table of sweets and cocoa for everyone. Heating stations were set up for people to warm up their hands as they chatted and ate, catching up with families and friends. Luckily the weather was just right for a dance party. "Last year after the parade we had a lot of people standing around a...
By Mahlon Smoke On December 9th many morning drivers on Route 37 drove past construction workers tearing down the old SRMT tribal building. In June of this year the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe staff and council moved into a brand-new tribal building: Ionkwakiohkwaro:ron. And Akwesasne, being Akwesasne, this hasn't passed without debate. Some community members believe the building could have been fixed and repurposed for a sport center. On the other hand, officials have gone on record how the...
By Mahlon Smoke The Akwesasne Police departments were rounding up various individuals to put them in jail, all arrested for just being to kind and helpful to raise money for the annual Akwesasne Holiday Helpers held this past Friday at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino and Resort. At this time of the year many families are in need of help and because it is the season for giving local businesses and various programs from both Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe came together...
By Mahlon Smoke For the last year, Tribal Council have been drafting and writing out an important ordinance that would legalize marijuana in Akwesasne. Leading and explaining the ordinance through public community meetings and presentations, many community members still had concerns and questions for Dale White. November 13th was the last ordinance meeting before the referendum that will determine if the Tribe will go through with this legalization. When asked about an advisory and authority board that would help to monitor use of medical marij...
By Mahlon Smoke Pink Floyd remains as one of the most iconic rock bands in history. They're also one of the most experimental with their music, from "The Wall" to "Dark Side of the Moon" and "Animals" to name a few of their albums. Their music continues to resonate with people from different generations, from the ones who were there at the height of their popularity to the ones who are just hearing about them now. There is something there for any lover of rock. Twelve years of playing and...
By Mahlon Smoke What started as a way to raise funding to help rebuild and maintain the Tsi Snaihne Recreation Centre has transformed into an annual event where different programs and families all across Akwesasne donate a Christmas tree and prizes. This year marked the 15th Christmas Enchantment and to honour such an achievement, the organizers would pull 15 names for the money prizes at the end of Tree Giveaway. The vendors, the food, and of course the beautiful tree displays could not be...
By Mahlon Smoke For the past few years, the Travelling College has been holding a Harvest Festival that celebrates the changing seasons as well as teaching the community about various traditional activities. Making a fire and preparations, making your own cornhusk doll, corn washing, and storytelling by Dave Fadden were some activities held at this year's Harvest Fest on Sunday, November 3, 2019. This year the college also held a Jigging Contest with music provided by Crosswinds band and on the...
By Mahlon Smoke The Onkwehonwe Midwives Collective held a special seminar with Rhonda Lee Grantham as their speaker on the importance of knowing the special properties of roots. From ginger to nettles to even the important properties of Bone Broth, Grantham shared her 25 years' worth of knowledge of different teas, broths, and the healing properties that the modern day may have forgotten. To the willing learners, she asked what this time of year, autumn, means to them. Each person had a...
By Mahlon Smoke Making a smoke dancing outfit is no easy task, it takes a lot of practice and a lot of patience to make a beautiful yet unique design for a smoke dancer. The Akwesasne Museum held classes dedicated to teaching anyone who wished to learn and make their own outfit. This class was dedicated to the hairpiece for a smoke dancer. On October 28th and 29th classes on how to make a beautiful hairpiece for a smoke dancer were taught by Rosebud Cook. The first class was about bundling the...
By Mahlon Smoke Halloween is a favorite time of year for those who enjoy the scarier things in life and also a great time to show your creative side. When the nights get longer and the air gets colder, to honor this holiday of masks and candy, the Tsi Snaihne Recreation Committee held their annual Halloween Party. It's a time for "children" of all ages to come and show off their costumes. This party is just the first in a series for the holiday season, but this is where family and friends can...
By Mahlon Smoke As Halloween fast approaches, it's the perfect time to celebrate the outdoor fall season with friends, families, and of course with donuts and apple cider. The Kawehno:ke Fall Fest had all of that and more. Outside the Kawehno:ke Recreation Center was set up a small festival for all the children to play games, buy treats, and run through a maze. The Akwesasne Freedom School were also selling pumpkins that were painted by the members and the children, all of which were happy to...
By Mahlon Smoke There are many talented youth in Akwesasne, some of which are lucky enough to showcase those talents in movies or on tv. One lucky young girl is Kiawenti:io Tarbell who has finished filming on the Netflix show "Anne with an E" and wrapped up filming a new film "Beans", which is already in post-production status. Now back in Akwesasne, she's excited to get back to school and meet up with her friends, while still keeping in contact with the friends she made while on set for "Anne...
By Mahlon Smoke Generations Park – George Adams, the founder of the Akwesasne Cancer Support Group left this world last year. Adams, along with others who have family or who were suffering through cancer themselves, came together and formed the Akwesasne Cancer Support Group (ACSG). Dedicated to helping cancer victims and their families especially. One year after his passing, the Akwesasne Cancer Support Group continued the annual ACSG 5k Run/Walk in his memory. While the morning was brisk, s...
By Mahlon Smoke St. Lawrence Center Mall. With fall fast approaching, the representatives at the St. Lawrence Center Mall held a two-day Fall Expo for everyone to enjoy. The last few years the St. Lawrence Mall has been working to re-invent itself with fun family activities with the sports complex, bumper cars, and glow-in-the-dark golf. The 2019 Fall Expo brought various amount of activities to do. Outside was a small petting zoo and a pony rides for the younger children. Another event caught...
By Mahlon Smoke A`nowara`ko:wa Arena. For the last 60 years the members of our local police, ambulance and firemen teams have protected the Community of Akwesasne. In honor of the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for Akwesasne, multiple Mohawk Council of Akwesasne programs including the chiefs of each district, came together to present a dinner for the First Responders and their families. The evening included a traditional dinner, presentation of gift bags and certificates....
By Mahlon Smoke Akwesasne. On Sunday, September 15th a collaboration organized by Mohawk Council Environmental Assessment Officer Jessica Shenandoah brought together programs, environmental groups and department divisions to clean what is dear to her heart – the waterways of Akwesasne through the Great Akwesasne River Cleanup. However, this year the River Cleanup almost didn't happen. Due to a lack of funding, there was a fear that there wouldn't be one. Through Shenandoah's tenacity and the d...
By Mahlon Smoke Akwesasne Freedom School. Early morning on August 24th came 9 teams all ready for a day of testing their strength, their durability and their survival skills. Organized by the staff and parents of the Akwesasne Freedom School to bring the community together as well as get people in touch with skills that they may have forgotten. This year introduced a new obstacle to the race, that being archery. After doing the .5-mile swim, 6 miles of canoeing, 10-mile biking, 1-mile backpackin...
By Mahlon Smoke Iakhihsohtha. Dark clouds gathering in the sky above didn't stop the staff at Iakhihshota from holding a second Carnival to raise money for our Elders at Iakhihsohtha. Last year they held a large event with games, a small petting zoo and a magician to entertain. While the venue was smaller this year, the festivities were still enjoyable for all involved. There was the Tota bingo where Elders could play to win any prize they wanted. Families of the grandparents enjoyed the...
By Mahlon Smoke Generations Park. Summer may be coming to a close, but August still promises to be a fun time with good food and great music every Thursday. On August 8th, Kati and the Biscuits performed for an excited crowd. Kati and the Biscuits, led by singer Kathy Herne with her friends and bandmates, lead guitarist Eddie Lawrence, mandolin player Dianah Manley, drummer Barry Gordy and bassist Terry Terrance. For the past year or so they have been playing and performing together. Herne has...
By Mahlon Smoke Kaniehkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonsesne - One year ago on July 27th, Kenny Leaf was found dead after months of searching. Since then, his murder has remained unsolved and his family desperate for answers. Over the weekend a 'March for Justice' was held where friends and family gathered demanding Kenny Leaf's murderer be arrested and that the community to speak up if they 'Know Something, Say Something' which was chanted along Route 37 highway on a hot Saturday morning. Over 70...
By Mahlon Smoke Ionkwakiohkwaró:ron. Every year audit firm representatives come to Akwesasne and present their findings for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe fiscal year. Representatives like Remy Omisore who do their best to be transparent with how the money was spent and what kind of year it has been for the Tribe. However, many community members expressed their displeasure with not knowing where the money is coming from and how it impacts Akwesasne and its people. The governmental panel and representatives did their best to explain as clearly...
By Mahlon Smoke Ionkwakiohkwaróron – A beautiful July 1st day greeted new and old members of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Council members. Everyone was in attendance for the swearing in of Chief Judge Carrie Garrow, Traffic Court Judge Lois Terrance for her 6th term, Tribal Chief Beverly Cook and new to the council, Tribal Sub-Chief Kenneth Jock. The ceremony was held on the lawn of the new tribal building. Supporters, family, and tribal employees watched as each returning and new court and coun...
By Mahlon Smoke Akwesasne Child Care. From newborns to the age of 6, children are at their most impressionable and require the most attention. But in such busy times, sometimes families may not have the money for daycare or a babysitter and because of work, don't have that time to spend. A new program opened this year in Akwesasne that is dedicated to young children and their parents; to both engage and bond. It's called Akwesasne Zero 2 Six, enriching experiences for young children and their...
By Mahlon Smoke Tsi Snaihne. For many years, plastic and Styrofoam have been the 'go to' for many take-outs for restaurants. However, with the negative effects on the environment and in the production of Styrofoam, the use of Styrofoam causes more harm than good. Styrofoam is made from polystyrene, which is a petroleum-based plastic. Styrofoam is actually the trade name for polystyrene. It's popular because of its light weight, good insulation properties, and advantage as a packing material for...
