Akwesasne Roadside Clean-up Day

Niawenkowa Akwesasronnon! (Thank you Akwesasne!) Everyone give yourselves a pat on the back. Sonkwaiatison (Our Creator) is smiling on us, seeing his children picking up trash and taking care of Mother Earth. Who says Akwesasne has no community spirit? We really proved we have it on Saturday, May 1st. The Roadside Cleanup event may be over, but let’s not forget our responsibility to keeping Mother Earth clean. If we all do our duty, then someday the Cleanup Day will not be needed. Come on Akwesasne! It’s time we act like the people we say we are!

The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment (ATFE), the SRMT Environment Division and the MCA Department of Environment would like to thank the following groups and individuals, because without them, our clean up day would not have happened.

Trash committee: Craig Arquette, Margaret George, Brenda LaFrance, Mary Terrance, Noah Point, Amberdawn Lafrance, Nolan Jacobs and Sara Square.

Donations of Food: Brass Horse, Marlene Arquette, Marie Benedict, First American’s IGA, Brenda Lafrance, Lorraine Bero, Stewarts Massena ,and Elaine Thompson.

Donations of Door Prizes: Akwesasne Sports, Kanienkehaka Fuels, Akwesasne Housing Authority, Jreck Subs Akwesasne, Knead Your Dough, Akwesasne Economic Developmen Agency (AEDA), Chuck’s Pet Center, The Natural Way, Cornwall Bar-B-Q, Paint Your Way, Burger King Cornwall, Wendy’s Cornwall, Tim Horton’s, Cornwall Motor Sales and Grant Ready Mix.

Monetary Donations: Akwesasne Community Assistance Fund, Truckstop #9, Akwesasne Convenience Store Association, CKON Radio Bingo, Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, and Lafrance Consulting.

Truck Divers and Helpers: Setanta Oceillaigh, Sterling Back, Ricardo Najar, Troy Francis, Craig Arquette, Angela Benedict, Zac Dunn, Ken Jock, Jennifer Standing Arrow and Mary Terrance.

We would also like to give special thanks to the following departments for the use of their trucks: SRMT Solid Waste Department; SRMT Environment Division, MCA Waste Water Operations, Delormy Construction and Trucking, and D & R Disposal. We would like to thank MCA Department of Technical Services and SRMT Solid Waste Department for setting up dumpsters. Special thanks go to Bears Den for providing gas for all the trucks picking up trash and to the Akwesasne Senior Center for providing the use of their facilities. Thanks also goes out to Bulla N Joe’s Tent Rentals for providing tables and chairs. We would also like to thank Brass Horse for doing all the cooking for us. Niawenkowa to Faith Graffis and Mamie David for organizing the door prizes. We can’t forget to thank Stacy Adams, Sadie Adams and Caroline Tarbell for registering the teams. If we have forgotten anyone, we are very sorry.

We would also like to give a special thank you to Thomas Stacey who does not just put aside one day for picking up trash along our roads. Everyday is clean up day to him.

The list of winners of the Annual Roadside Cleanup is as follows:

1st Prize $250.00 Tarbell Management Group

2nd Prize $200.00 Team #8 from Snye

3rd Prize $150.00 Akwesasne Freedom School

It should be noted that Tarbell Management Group will donate their winnings to a local charity.

Photos by Mary La France