A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe does not agree with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed plan to clean up the Grasse River. “We appreciate EPA’s recognition of the Indian Meadows as reservation lands and the recognition of our status as an Environmental Justice community because of the disproportionate impact on this community from the contamination of the Grasse River. But we do not totally agree with their cleanup plan,” remarked Ken Jock, Director of the tribe’s Environment Division. “We do support dredging of the entire...
The hydrofracking controversy in New York State is still ongoing with many people against allowing it here because of the various health and environmental hazards that may come with it. This is NYS DEC Commissioner Joe Martens’ progress report on the decision to let hydrofracking in New York State. September 20, 2012 - “DEC has been reviewing approximately 80,000 comments submitted concerning the Department’s review of high volume hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking). While a wide variety of issues are addressed by the comments, many focus...
Akwesasne Territory - The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division is pleased to let the Akwesasne community know that they were finally able to move the pile of waste tires on Frogtown Road. The work was completed on Tuesday, September 11, 2012. Removal of the tire pile is important because the tires fill with water and harbor mosquitoes, which can carry Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. These viruses infect both people and animals and can be fatal. This tire pile was a blight caused by improper disposal of used tires. U...
9/11/2012 The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Environment Department is calling out to any fishermen and women that would like to provide Walleye fish samples. Looking for Whole walleye fish Fin clips (the specimen could be returned to the river alive, only a small clipping is required) for mercury testing. If the fish is for consumption, we will collect tissue, gonads and liver for PCB study. The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Environment Department is working in conjunction with the St. Lawrence...
SASKATOON, Sask. -- September 5, 2012 -- Canada’s Environment Minister, the Honourable Peter Kent, announced final regulations for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from coal-fired electricity generation. The regulations apply a stringent performance standard to new electricity generation units and old units that have reached the end of their economic life. In the first 21 years, the regulations are expected to result in a cumulative reduction in GHG emissions of about 214 megatonnes--equivalent to removing some 2.6 million personal v...
WASHINGTON, D.C. - 09/07/2012 – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson and Canada’s Minister of the Environment Peter Kent today signed the newly amended Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement at a formal ceremony in Washington, D.C. First signed in 1972 and last amended in 1987, the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement is a model of binational cooperation to protect the world’s largest surface freshwater system and the health of the surrounding communities. “Protecting cherished water bodies like the Great Lakes i...
From 1900-2010, freshwater fish species in North America went extinct at a rate 877 times faster than the rate found in the fossil record, while estimates indicate the rate may double between now and 2050. This new information comes from a U.S. Geological Survey study to be published in the September issue of the journal BioScience. In the fossil record, one freshwater fish species goes extinct every 3 million years, but North America lost 39 species and 18 subspecies between 1898 and 2006. Based on current trends in threatened and endangered...
The extent of the sea ice covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk. According to scientists from NASA and the NASA-supported National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) in Boulder, Colo., the amount is the smallest size ever observed in the three decades since consistent satellite observations of the polar cap began. The extent of Arctic sea ice on Aug. 26, as measured by the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager on the U.S. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program spacecraft and analyzed by NASA and NSIDC scientists, was 1.58 million square miles (4.1...
August 24, 2012 - Ontario is investing in innovative solutions in Peel to help protect Great Lakes water quality. IMAX Corporation is using new permeable pavement and stormwater treatment technology to retrofit its parking lot to reduce contaminated runoff. This green infrastructure will help prevent flooding and reduce contaminants entering Sheridan Creek and Lake Ontario. The project is part of the McGuinty government’s Showcasing Water Innovation program that supports projects that demonstrate innovative and cost-effective approaches to i...
August 20, 2012 - Today, less than five months after the removal of the Elwha Dam, adult Chinook (king) salmon were observed in Olympic National Park in Washington. These are the first observed Elwha River salmon to naturally migrate into the park. When the Elwha Dam became operational in 1913, twenty-five years before the establishment of the park, over 70 miles of habitat were blocked to fish passage. The Chinook were observed approximately two miles upstream from the boundary of the park by Phil Kennedy, Lead Fisheries Technician for the...
August 20, 2012 – Ottawa - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the emerald ash borer (EAB) in the Ville de Laval, Québec. The emerald ash borer was discovered in a trap set by the CFIA near the Des Prairies River in the Laval-des-Rapides district. Movement restrictions, which prohibit the movement of all ash materials—such as logs, branches and wood chips—and all species of firewood from the affected site, have been put in place. Property owners in the affected area have been notified of these restri...
An Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) infestation was found in the Catskill Forest Preserve at a state-owned campground, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Joe Martens announced. The discovery was confirmed after a DEC employee recovered a single EAB beetle from a purple prism trap that was placed in DEC’s Kenneth L. Wilson campground in the Town of Woodstock, Ulster County. After EAB was first discovered in Ulster County near Kingston in 2010, state and federal a...
Gardens are now producing everything from green beans to green onions and for the early bird gardener potatoes and corn. If you’ve planted zucchini – you probably have a boatload of them. Here are some tried and very good recipes you might enjoy. I’ve included dishes to cover every meal, from breakfast to dessert. Zucchini Carrot Bread 3 eggs 1 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil 1 ½ cups brown sugar, packed 1 cup zucchini, grated 2 teaspoons vanilla 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour ½ bran cereal 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking p...
Many gardeners and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members have an overflow of fresh vegetables at this time of year, and often have a huge amount of one particular crop and not enough of another. By participating in the informal “Harvest Swap - Share Your Garden Bounty!” in both the villages of Potsdam and Canton, NY, one can swap out their fresh vegetables! For instance, some of those beautiful tomatoes that you just can’t get to canning now might be traded for some fresh greens or sweet corn. The event is being held on Thursday, August...
Economic Development, Community Health and Environment programs of Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, came together to conduct a Garden Contest. The contest began on Friday June 1st with 11 family teams registered and their garden plot plans submitted. All family teams were required to submit weekly Garden Reports and at least one garden photo for a total of 8 weeks. The teams were only allowed to miss 2 weekly submissions in order to remain in the competition. Out of the 11 family teams, only 5...
WASHINGTON D.C. - U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, held an oversight hearing on Impacts of Environmental Changes on Treaty Rights, Traditional Lifestyles, and Tribal Homelands today. “The relationship between Native nations and their environment is sacred. It is the foundation of their cultures and world view,” said Chairman Akaka. “As a Native Hawaiian, we have a concept called malama ‘aina, which teaches us that we must care for the land and nature, so it can continue to care fo...
PCB exposure has caused great damage to the health of the people of Akwesasne. The World Health Organization is now calling for action to minimize the exposure children receive to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) a large group of chemicals, which includes: PCBs, dioxins, brominated flame retardants and certain pesticides. A key strategy for minimizing exposure is educational outreach describing the major exposure pathways for POPs. Consumption of animal fats present in meats, dairy products, fish and eggs is the main exposure route for...
Veronica Cook’s garden is no ordinary garden. The garden is a circle inside a rectangle, and it is actually shaped like a turtle. Having the arced rows is more work, but the garden is bursting with produce, and Veronica is glad she has lots of helpers. Katenis, Kenneth-Adam, Karter Lyons, Simon Sinora; who is from Palestine and drew the sketch of the garden, and Karen McNaughton from Six Nations; who had the dream about the garden, all share a part in the round garden. Veronica said that kids lo...
Albany, NY–An extensive study of New York’s Adirondack loon population has revealed that mercury contamination can lead to population declines of the iconic bird. The research effort was a joint project between the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). For nearly 10 years, researchers from these organizations followed mercury contamination throughout the aquatic food chain, from zooplankton to the Common Loon, in Cranberry and Lo...
If you were thinking of starting a herb garden, as I was, you would be smart to do so. I had the honor of meeting Mona Via and took a tour of her beautiful gardens: herbs, vegetables and flowers. She grows several herbs including, parsley, oregano, chives, sage, dill and rosemary, to name a few. Mona grows them in pots right outside her door, and there is nothing quite as fresh as those herbs of hers. Mona has four raised bed gardens. She calls her garden her “fun and games.” Instead of giv...
Keeping cool indoors when it is hot outdoors is a problem. The sun beating down on our homes causes indoor temperatures to rise to uncomfortable levels. Air conditioning provides some relief. But the initial costs of installing an air conditioner and the electricity costs to run it can be high. In addition, conventional air conditioners use refrigerants made of chlorine compounds, suspected contributors to the depletion of the ozone layer and global warming. An alternative way to maintain a cool...
Please read the article below on Lyme Disease and participate in a radio contest to be held on July 25, 2012. From 10:00am till 3:00pm. CKON will broadcast and ask a question from that same article hourly. So be sure to read the article (answers are there) and you may be eligible for some great prizes! The article on Lyme disease will be posted in: -Indian Time on July 12 environment section (see article below) -Community newsletter Onkwe’ta:ke -Stores located in the northern part of A...
The Japanese beetle is a highly destructive plant pest of foreign origin. Feeding on grass roots, it damages lawns, golf courses, and pastures. The Japanese beetle was first found in the United States in 1916 in southern New Jersey. Since then, it has spread throughout most of the country east of the Mississippi River, as well as areas in Arkansas, Iowa, and Missouri. It is not very destructive in Japan, where it is controlled by natural predators, but in America it is a serious pest of about...
June 18, 2012 - The state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and its collaborative partners achieved a long-awaited milestone in their efforts to restore lake sturgeon in the Oneida Lake system, the agency announced today. In April a researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey’s Tunison Laboratory of Aquatic Sciences discovered two female lake sturgeon carrying eggs downstream of Oneida Lake. The fish, stocked in Oneida Lake by DEC in 1995 as part of an effort to improve threatened l...
Akwesasne Territory - On Tuesday, June 12, 2012 grade three students from the St. Regis Mohawk and Salmon River Elementary schools learned about some important aquatic species and their habitats. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT) Environment Division’s St. Lawrence River Massena/Akwesasne Area of Concern (AOC) program hosted the “Grade 3 Educational Outreach Day.” They held it at the Hogansburg-Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department (HAVFD) station. Students spent the morning with SRMT Envir...
