Tribal Council Endorses Lazore-Thompson in Salmon River School Board Special Election

AKWESASNE, NY-- The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is encouraging Akwesasne residents to participate in a special election being held for the Salmon River School Board on Tuesday, Seskehkó:wa/September 15, 2015. The Tribal Council is asking community members to join them in supporting local candidate Danielle Lazore-Thompson as she seeks to fill a vacant position on the board.

Lazore-Thompson is a life-long resident of Akwesasne with three children presently attending schools within the Salmon River School District - Salmon River Central School and the St. Regis Mohawk School. She attended Salmon River prior to pursuing and receiving her law degree from Cornell Law School. Currently serving as acting General Counsel for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, she is vying for the vacant seat to advocate for and give Akwesasne students a stronger voice.

The Salmon River Central School District is one of thirteen districts in New York State that provides education to Native American students. It is the only one however, where the majority of the student population is Native. With the community’s support, Lazore-Thompson’s election will help attain a majority Mohawk presence on the school board.

Tribal Council noted, “We are proud of the overwhelming participation the Akwesasne community has shown in previous school district elections. Our children represent our future and past election results indicated that we want them to have all the support and resources they need to succeed. We are asking community members to show their support once more by providing the majority Mohawk student body with balanced representation within the school district.”

The special election will be held from Noon to 8:00 p.m. on September 15th in the Salmon River High School Auditorium. Voters will be asked to fill a vacancy by electing a board member to serve a term commencing on September 16, 2015 and expiring on June 30, 2017.