A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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A tragic 3 a.m. accident on the back roads between Fort Covington and Akwesasne this weekend ended in the deaths of two Akwesasne men. According to the New York State Police, Mark P. Smoke, 38 and Jeffrey M. David, 54, both of Hogansburg, were traveling west on Drum Street in Smoke’s 2006 Cadillac at around 2:45 a.m. Sunday Police said the vehicle exited the roadway and flipped several times. Neither men were wearing seatbelts and both were ejected from the car, crashing into a vehicle parked at private residence. Both men were pronounced d...
A 38-year-old man was arrested last week for charges relating to his alleged sexual contact with an 8-year-old on more than one occasion between 2004 and 2006. Aristides Rojas was taken into custody on March 9, 2010 and released on March 16 under the supervision of Probation. He lists 520 McGee Road, Hogansburg as his address. However, the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe said Rojas is not a tribal member. According to the St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, the defendant requested in court that he be released without bail. Despite a r...
Eight students from Akwesasne traveled to Albuquerque, New Mexico last week where they competed with hundreds of other Native American students at the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s annual science fair. The eight students, who are all in 6th grade, had previously won at the 17 Annual Ahkwesahsne Mohawk Science Fair in November, 2009. The top-scoring students at the AMSF qualify for the AISES fair. The trip to the AISES fair is a tradition Akwesasne students have followed f...
Semi-Dry Nation? Alcohol sales only for on-premises consumption? No new bars? All of these were ideas suggested and considered by community members and the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal (SRMT) Council when a special meeting was called to discuss the issue of alcohol sales in Akwesasne. The meeting, held last Thursday evening at the Tribal Community Building, was scheduled after the issue of alcohol licenses was brought up at last month’s monthly tribal meeting. A 21-year-old Akwesasne man had recently been killed by an alleged drunk driver who c...
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne held a by-election Saturday for four Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) district chiefs. When two of the candidates, Wesley Benedict and Cheryl Jacobs, tied for the fourth spot, their names were put into a hat and Benedict’s name was drawn out by the chief electoral officer Leona Benedict. MCA’s Election Code calls for a coin toss or luck of the draw in the event of a tie during an election. Louise Thompson received the most votes Saturday with 122. Brian David rec...
A six-course meal and several different wine varieties were the rewards enjoyed by several dozen people who attended a wine-tasting event hosted by the Brass Horse Banquet Hall last Friday event. Individuals paid to attend the event and were promised a sampling of fine wines and delicious food and attendees had little to complain about. With each course, staff introduced and explained the exotic menu items and which wine was being served with each course. Breads and cheeses were also served and...
Students in Mrs. Thompson’s and Mrs. Bradley’s kindergarten classes at the St. Regis Mohawk School were excited at the opportunity Tuesday to celebrate the birthday of a well-loved doll - Barbie. The Mattel-made plastic doll was first introduced on March 9, 1959. In celebration, Mrs. Thompson and Mrs. Bradley told their students that if they wanted they could bring in their Barbie dolls and dress up in princess and Barbie clothing. Some students came to school suited head to toe in clothes fit...
Salmon River Central School’s physical education teacher Jim Barnes has been granted the head coach position of the school’s boys’ varsity lacrosse team. The team’s longtime coach Dave White retired last year after decades leading the team. Barnes, who is a Salmon River graduate, is no stranger to lacrosse or the players he’ll be coaching. Soon after being hired at the school as a gym teacher, he began coaching the boys JV team and waited for his shot at the varsity coaching level. “I have a...
Once again, residents of Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) will head the polls to elect four district chiefs to the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne in a by-election being held eight months after the original election. Twice, the election procedures followed by the Kawehno:ke district were appealed and the elected community members were never sworn in. The MCA holds a general election every June for four district chiefs per district (Kawehno:ke, Kana:takon and Tsi Snaihne) for a total of twelve, as well as one grand chief. The grand chief as well as the...
Students at the St. Regis Mohawk School spent the day Tuesday celebrating the life and books of children’s author Dr. Seuss. March 2nd is National Read Across America Day in honor of Dr. Seuss’ birthday. Each class had a different way of celebrating the school holiday. In Mrs. Jock’s kindergarten class students wore Dr. Seuss hats and sat on the carpet as the author’s books were read to them by their teacher. In another classroom, 4th graders read books to the pre-k students, and in other c...
Indian Time was paid a visit this week by 83-year-old Elda Cook who wanted to share some memories of the old neighborhood in Hogansburg that was pictured in last week’s Blast from the Past photo. The photo (reprinted again here this week) depicts an old “Bero residence” and liquor store, but the date the photo was taken is unknown. Cook lived in the home seen in the picture from the time she was 4 years old until she was in her teens, during the 1930s and 1940s. She lived there with her paren...
Households in Akwesasne will once again benefit from the CITGO Petroleum Corporation’s fuel assistance program. For the third year, the company has allocated funds to assist the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s membership this heating season. “We want to express our appreciation for this support to our community,” said Tribal Chief Monica Jacobs. “This is a great help to community members who often struggle to pay energy bills in the winter.” The Tribe said each household will receive approximately 100 gallons of fuel at no cost to them. Community m...
The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne held nominations for the third time for Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island) district chiefs this past Saturday. While MCA’s general election took place in June of 2009, the results of the Kawehno:ke district were appealed successfully leading to a by-election, which was then also appealed successfully. On Feb. 13, nominations were held for the 2nd by-election for that district. In both elections held, the same four candidates were voted into office: Wesley Benedict, Abram Benedict, Cheryl Jacobs and Brian David. All f...
The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s controversial off-reservation gaming referendum results remain unofficial this week as the Election Board reviews four appeals. The January 30, 2010 referendum asked voters, “Do you approve of the Tribe pursuing off-reservation gaming in the Catskills?” There were a total of 538 “Yes” votes, 371 “No” votes and 27 voided ballots and 2 spoiled ballots. Election Board officials could not comment on the nature of the appeals and said they would need a minimum of five days to review them. The last appeal was received...
Former Akwesasne Skating Club figure skater Jennifer Mitchell will be putting her knowledge to good use this month. Mitchell was hired by NBC as a logger for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia. Having moved to BC in June of 2009, Mitchell attended a job fair for the Olympics and was initially hired in an assistant/runner position. After learning about Mitchell’s background in figure skating, NBC offered her a figure skating logger position instead. “It’s very excit...
After taking a long break from politics, Michael Kanentakeron Mitchell has found himself right at the forefront of Akwesasne politics once again as he was elected Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne last June. With new issues on the table, the Grand Chief has had to adjust to MCA life again but he brings a wealth of experience with him to his position. Indian Time sat down with the Grand Chief to learn more about his past and outlook on present day issues. Pre-Politics After high...
Nearly a thousand tribal members exercised their right to vote Saturday as the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe held a second referendum on off-reservation gaming. The tribe asked “Do you approve of the Tribe pursuing off-reservation gaming in the Catskills?” For years the tribe has been pursuing a multi-million dollar gaming facility in Sullivan County in the Catskill Mountains, 90 minutes from New York City. The same question was posed to tribal members in a November 2009 referendum and the majority of voters “NO.” However, the results were deemed...
On July 1, 2010 the province of Ontario will implement a harmonized sales tax that combines PST and GST into one, HST, and will cost consumers more on most products while eliminating the costs businesses incur from separating the two taxes. While the government’s plan is to help the business side of the Ontario economy, the HST doesn’t address the tax exempt status of First Nations people. “When implemented on July 1, 2010, the HST will force all First Nations in Ontario to pay the provincial sales tax at a combined tax rate of 13 perce...
Twenty-eight Mohawk elders, who were under scrutiny by Service Canada now have the option of agreeing to a settlement with Service Canada regarding their Old Age Security benefits. In 2008 a number of elders were notified by Service Canada that they were responsible for paying back thousands of dollars in benefits they had received. Service Canada claimed that the elders had failed to notify them of U.S. Social Security benefits they were collecting. Canadian government workers began phoning the elders and were accused of harassing them. The Mo...
Tribal members will vote for the second time this Saturday on the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s referendum question, “Do you approve of the Tribe pursuing off-reservation gaming in the Catskills?” A majority of tribal members voted “NO” when the question was first posed at a November referendum. Those results were deemed invalid by the Election Board because the question had not been posted publicly 30 days prior as required by the Election Law. While the referendum was held with little public attention the first time, community members who fall on...
The Akwesasne Olympic Torch Committee held an appreciation dinner last Thursday evening to thank and recognize all those who were a part of Akwesasne’s involvement with the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay. Among those honored were the official torchbearers Erin Seymour and Mike Benedict, Jr., runners Steevi King and Dave White, and Aronhaiaes Herne who was selected as a youth flame attendant. He accompanied the Olympic Flame from Greece, back to Canada and across the country as it made it’s relay to...
An Akwesasne man celebrating his 21st birthday was struck and killed by a drunk driver last Friday morning, Jan. 15. According to tribal police, Tyson Arquette, known as “Dooganut”, was walking on St. Regis Road at approximately 5:15 a.m. when a vehicle heading towards the village of St. Regis struck him. Arquette was pronounced dead upon his arrival to Massena Memorial Hospital. He leaves behind two small children. Police have charged the driver of the vehicle, Jessica Lazore, 27, also of Akwesasne, with 1st Degree Vehicular Manslaughter, a C...
The man blamed by many for failing to resolve the ongoing bridge and border crises in Akwesasne has been shuffled into a new position. Peter Van Loan is no longer Canada’s Minister of Public Safety and he’s been given a new assignment as Minister of International Trade. Prime Minister Stephen Harper shuffled his cabinet Monday and Van Loan was reassigned as a result, some media is reporting, of poor handling of the prison system. “As much as we would like to wish him well on his next Cabinet appointment; his brand of leadership and lack of di...
Akwesasne community members looking for a lifestyle change or something different from their normal exercise routine have a new place to go right on the territory. Crossfit Akwesasne opened officially on Monday at their location behind Express Gas on Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island.) Tyler Touchette and Kyle Pichie are Crossfit Akwesasne’s owners and they provide personal training to all of their students in classes held at various times throughout the day. “It’s a community-based gym,” said To...
Cornwall’s Scotiabank presented members of the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department’s Kawehnoke (Cornwall Island) station with a check for $3,000 Monday. The funds are a result of the bank’s “Team Scotia” program, which pledges to match up to $1,000 when any of their employees’ raise that much for a non-profit group or event. On Canadian Thanksgiving back in October, three Scotiabank employees helped the HAVFD at their annual boot drive fundraiser on Kawehno:ke, helping the HAVFD t...
