Letter to the editor:

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

On June 18, 2012 Mohawk Council of Akwesasne filed a specific claim for the “north shore”. It encompasses about 40 kilometers from the Long Sault islands to the mouth of the Raisin River and includes 30 kilometers inland from the St. Lawrence River.

The claim states that this land has never been surrendered or sold.

Why have the members from Akwesasne that are living on the “north shore” not been allowed to vote in MCA elections? These members are asserting our rights to the “north shore” by living there! Acknowledge this and change the election law so that more members will vote and take an interest in matters that concern all of us.

There are also members who currently reside in the Dundee land claim area.

There are enough pressures on native communities without our own denying us the ability to choose our representation.

There is a need to do away with the concept of districts or ward system for the type of government that we currently use. If you reside in one district and feel that a person that is running in another district better represents your ideas, you cannot vote for that person.

Voting for the top 12 plus a Grand Chief would ensure that our representation would be by the best that the community has to offer in leadership roles.

It would mean that all members would have someone to go to that they feel would handle any issues that they have. The chief would not look at that member as not being a part of their district and whether or not they would be voted back in for the next term.

There should also be a different process to allow members who are not on the current voters list to be allowed to vote on election day. It is allowed off of the territory so why are we discriminating. A potential voter has made the attempt to vote but is turned away. This should not be happening.

There should be a computer system set up so that voters have their data entered and if there is voting in all 3 areas, there is no one that votes twice.

Change is needed in Akwesasne and by changing the election law to be inclusive rather than discriminatory, we would have more participation in the decision making process!

Beverly Pyke