War of 1812 Monument Unveiled

Reprinted with permission from Iori:wase, Kahnawake News

For the first time in 200 years Mohawks from Kahnawake and members of the Voltigeurs du Quebec marched together. The last time Mohawks and the Voltigeurs marched together was during the War of 1812 en route to the Battle of Chateauguay. On Friday, the two groups marched together from the Royal Canadian Legion Mohawk Branch 219 to the Cenotaph for the unveiling of the War of 1812 memorial ceremony.

The monument is to honour Kahnawake’s contribution to the War of 1812, which stopped an American invasion of Canada.

Friday’s ceremony was opened by local elder Joe McGregor, which was then followed by a short performance from local powwow dancers Ray Deer (who is also a veteran) and his son Brightcloud. There were speeches from several prominent community members, as well as dignitaries from the Royal Canadian Legion and Andrew Park, the U.S. Consul General for Montreal.

“It’s a beautiful day.” Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Chief Christine Zachary-Deom said. “It’s a beautiful day to remember. The War of 1812 had a lot of battles that Kahnawake had a big role.”

Kahnawake played a prominent role in a number of battles during the War of 1812, including the battles of Lacolle, Beaver Dams and the most prominent being the Battle of Chateauguay, Zachary-Deom said.

“Kahnawake was a marshalling point for this battle,” she continued.

Following the speeches, the statue was unveiled while the names of 73 Mohawk Warriors who received commendations for their roles in the Battle of Chateauguay were read – each of the names are on the monument.