Upcoming Election Issues

The week of April 1st, nine weeks before the Tribal elections, we have yet to hear who is going to run for Chief and Sub-Chief though the rumor mill and its legions of lackey’s never failing to disappoint, has been relentlessly churning out names.

Now is the time to define the issues from a voter’s point of view. Let’s create our own vision and see if the candidates can embrace them.

There is much to say when it comes to describing what it is we want in our elected officials...sure, sure we want them to be exemplary in every way. To be gods if possible and lacking that then to at least be likable, patient, to be smart and honest and love their mothers and yada, yada, yada. Me, I don’t really care about that stuff anymore, the world of Indian issues is getting very tough, violent and greedy and it’s the weak Nations with weak leadership that will suffer.

The State’s rights movement has gained great strength in the last decade, so much so that we can no longer trust our one time ally, the Democratic Party. In many ways they are much worse than the Republicans. On the home front we have business entities and organizations whose version of American capitalism is bringing our collective rights far too close to the edge of the political abyss. They are a confused and mixed lot, led by a Management Group under the guise of the Akwesasne Convenience Store Association (ACSA). Not all ACSA members are of the same mind, nor embrace the same American capitalist values as the leaders of the ACSA and their efforts to change that organization should be applauded. Will the candidate be a bought and paid-for candidate to special interests or a candidate of the people’s interests?

There is a balance between business interests and the interests of Tribal voters; can the candidates find and articulate that balance?

The main issues:

Law enforcement – The Tribal Police department should be reoriented to the laws of the Tribal government and not those of the Federal and State agencies. We empowered the Mohawk Tribal Police to enforce our laws, not to be a lap dog for the Franklin County District Attorney nor the Federal Agencies that run through our territory as if they were in the old days of the prohibition period with no accountability and very little respect for the Sovereignty we work to sustain.

Regulations and Licensing – Will the candidate increase the Tribe’s due diligence and responsibilities to not only regulate their licensee’s, but also stand behind and protect them utilizing Tribal sovereign authority to issue licenses? Will the candidate stand strong and not cower when the State pressures our regulated businesses such as the State is attempting to do with businesses that operate on our territories considered in the land claims areas? Think of Twin Leaf Express in Fort.

College Scholarships – Not enough students heading to College receive adequate funding from the Tribe despite the success of the Mohawk Casino.

Mohawk Preference in hiring and contracting – The ideal candidate should work to adopt and strenuously enforce a Tribal Employment Rights Ordinance and give more preference to Mohawk Contractors and employee applicants. Recently a $7 million contract to expand the Senior living complex was awarded to a non-Mohawk contractor. Really??

Agricultural Regeneration – It is time to rebuild our agricultural options in order to diversify our economy. Now with most of the plants closed and being cleaned up the time is good to replant. We need to reclaim much of our productive lands from over-growth and protect them from the ravages of the huge and increasing beaver population and the effects of flooding and erosion due to Seaway operations.

Business Regulation – Mohawks should not be paying the same price for Fuel and Tobacco products as non-Mohawks. And, Fuel and Convenience store employees need a benefit package to ensure they have unemployment, medical, vacation and maternity leave options. Can the Tribe find a way to include these employees in their benefits pool in a way that is economical to the business owner and beneficial to the employee?

Tribe as Tobacco and Fuel Wholesaler – As the tax fight gets hotter and the need to increase regulations on this duel industry increases, should the Tribe take over the role as Wholesaler? Is this the best way to ensure that the Tribal members receive their share of the economic benefits due them from the mining of their collective right that is their tax free status?

Clinic – Once and for-all can someone come up with a solid plan to fully fund the needs of our health care system?

Municipal Electric – Can we keep the development of our source of cheap power moving forward without private interests looking to mine their private share of the profits thereby driving up costs? Is there a balance to found in this development between the public good and private interests?

Broadband – In this area a candidate must come to the table with a formula that ensures proper regulation, inexpensive service and quality service in a way that Tribal members benefit economically and socially.

Lastly – Our collective identity. Being a federally recognized Tribe has inherent problems. Most American politicians see us as American citizens, even though we never asked for such status nor were we ever consulted on receiving such status. And with U.S. citizenship comes U.S./State taxes. How do we want our next elected leader to walk while representing us? As a U.S. Citizen who happens to be a Mohawk Tribal member? Or as an elected leader with a clear understanding of the two worlds we live in, as Tribal members and as original human beings? Is simply having connections to the BIA or other federal agencies enough? Probably not. Is having close ties to our ancestral ways enough? Probably not. There is a balance to be found here, our chore as voters is to find it in the candidates we will consider from now until the June elections.