Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor,

I have given this a lot of thought and have spent a few sleepless nights but after reading the last letter to the editor from the White Family I can no longer stay silent. I was married to Harry “Muzz” McDonald and resided in the U.S. portion of Akwesasne for 19 years. There are so many non-truths in their letter. First they declare, “that there is not one court in Canada that produces any justice for an Indian,” (first I must comment that my late husband hated that term, he preferred Native American), and if I am not mistaken Carol Garrow is as Native American as they are. Secondly they declare that neither the government, MCA or any of their lawyers should be able to make the decisions. How strange, because that is exactly what one of the members of the White Family, Carl to be exact, did to me albeit on the U.S. side of the reservation. He and Muzz’s sister used the Tribal Council and Land Dispute Committee to kick me out of my late husband’s house, and I mean literally. On June 28th of last year he, his wife (my ex best friend and sister-in-law) and their daughter and her children broke the locks on the door of the house and put my personal effects out on the lawn. Police Chief Andy Thomas attempted to help me but was told that there was nothing he could do. They had been issued a deed from the Tribe. Many of you will ask why I wasn’t granted Life Estate after living here and being married to my husband for so many years, I also put this question to the tribal clerk, who advised me that I did have Life Estate and did not have to take any further action. Boy was I misinformed. I know many of you feel that I should not have been living on the rez anyway (for those of you who do not know me I am not Native American) but there was no telling my husband that, this was his home, he was extremely proud of being Native American and he was not leaving the family home that his mother had left him. I am not going to go into all the history behind our dispute because it has nothing to do with this issue but with the love and support of the rest of Muzz’s family I have moved on. However, as most of you are aware my husband was quite ill for the last few years of his life, and on numerous occasions he made his sister swear that if anything happened to him she would take care of me. Needless to say this did not happen so I find it strange that the White family should state that the wishes of their brother Matthew should be honored. They also state that the property should remain in the family, then why did Carl and Carol White sell the McDonald family home to an individual who is not a family member after they got the deed?

I lived on the reservation for 19 years and loved it as my home. I have made many, many friends, have wonderful memories and Muzz will be with me always, as the country song goes “every second, every minute, every hour of every day” no matter where I live. In a sideline to Carl and Carol I don’t need his ashes, he’s not there, he lives in my heart and in the hearts of the people he still loves.

Bonnie McDonald