Kanienkehaka Kaianerehkowa Kanonhsesne People of the Longhouse

May 30, 2008 Press Release

The Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne released a statement last week articulating three fundamental problems with the MCA / OPG agreement and upcoming referendum without getting into the terms of the deal. A recent settlement by our brothers and sisters to the west with a hydropower company operating on the Columbia River demonstrates just how underserved the People of Akwesasne were at the negotiation table with Ontario Power Generation.

The People of the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla and Colville Territories just reached and agreement with the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) by which the BPA will pay $900 million in exchange for an agreement by the People not to sue the federal authorities operating the dams for ten years over fish issues. The BPA said the settlement would cause a rate increase 2 to 4 percent for wholesale power prices, a cost that would obviously be borne by the consumer.

The Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne is not endorsing the BPA settlement agreement by any means, but offer the information to the People of Akwesasne to put the OPG offer in perspective. It is worth noting that the People of the Columbia River Territories did not sell out their future generations and left the door open to revisit the issue in ten years. An up front payment of $900 million sure makes $20 million plus $2.5 million for ten years look like the insult that it is. It is clear that a comprehensive analysis of damage and impact of the dams of the Columbia River was done to have reached such a settlement. There was probably more dollars spent analyzing the impact of the Columbia River dams than the OPG has offered to settle our claim.

Proposed agreement between MCA and O.P.G

The Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne are letting the people of Akwesasne know that we are opposed to this settlement agreement and will not accept it. We appreciate the representatives of MCA coming to meet with us and sharing their views and hearing ours, but there is no price and no process that they alone can put before the people that can result in a binding agreement. We have thoroughly examined the proposed settlement agreement and see too many flaws to mention here. We site the fundamental problems with the process and the parties involved without even getting into the details of the this agreement. We are willing to meet and speak to the concerns we have sited here as well as the numerous flaws, oversights and omissions of the agreement. We do not believe the scheduled referendum is the appropriate means for the community to reject this agreement, especially since many will not and cannot participate. Our fear is that if the MCA is successful in this referendum or the many that will follow, the community will be thrown into turmoil. The community is invited to meet us to openly discuss the issues surrounding this agreement and to discuss the plans and ways to reject it.

The Kanienkehaka Kanonhsesne can be reached at 518-358-3660 or at [email protected]