Mohawk Council of Akwesasne September General Meeting

St. Regis District Chief Ryan Jacobs chaired the MCA General meeting held at the Kawehno:ke Recreation Centre on Thursday, September 22, 2016, as Grand Chief Abram Benedict was away on travel.

Scott Peters, MCA Environment, presented an update on sturgeon, the recent illegal harvesting of sturgeon in Akwesasne waters and the environmental protection laws on sturgeon. The MCA Environment Division uses the Species at Risk Act to help identify 1. Extirpated Species 2. Endangered 3. Threatened and 4. Special concern.

The purposes of the Species at Risk Act (SARA) are “to prevent wildlife species in Canada from disappearing, to provide for the recovery of wildlife species that are extirpated (no longer exist in the wild in Canada), endangered, or threatened as a result of human activity, and to manage species of special concern to prevent them from becoming endangered or threatened.”

The MCA’s Environment Division and the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Environment Division work closely on a number of issues and they plan on developing an educational strategy for the community of Akwesasne on sturgeon and other species at risk.

Mohawk Council presented updates on the following:

Land Claims

Cactus Cook-Sunday presented an update on the Baxter & Barnhart Island Claim and the North Shore (filed in 2012 and “almost twenty times the comparative land base and of immense value”) were not accepted for negotiation by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. MCA will make another submission in the future. The Tsikaristisere/Dundee claim began in 1980 and thirty years later it is reaching a point of finalized negotiation and community ratification. According to MCA, “the claims process is long. The larger the claim, the more pushback can be expected. Negotiations are arduous and put the burden of proof squarely on the First Nation.”

A referendum will be held in the near future on the Tsikaristisere/Dundee land claim. MCA is planning and looking forward to the largest voter turnout in history. A meeting will be held at the Kana:takon School Gym on September 29, 2016 at 6pm. A meeting is scheduled for Tsi Snaihne on October 17, 2016 at 6pm. You can call ARRO at 613 575 2348 for more information.

Community members shared their concerns on the Port Divestiture, according to two community members who spoke, they believe the agreement between Canada, the city of Cornwall and Mohawk Council, is illegal. It was at this point in the meeting that the Chairperson addressed community members for not being respectful of one another and the Chairman suggested they should change their behavior or be removed from the meeting. It was District Chief Joe Lazore who brought order and calm to the meeting by addressing fellow Council members and community members of the words spoken at the beginning of the meeting of “Kanikonri:io” and of having a good mind.

General Meeting Format

A community member suggested a change in the General Meeting Format, that of moving “Business From the Floor” to the start of the meeting. It was also requested by community members at a Tsi Snaihne district meeting. The suggested change would open the floor to community members at the beginning of the meeting rather than at end of the meeting. This proposed change has been discussed at a Council meeting. Further discussion on this proposed change will take place.

MCA has proposed Video Recording of General Meetings and sharing the video with community members. The setup and process was discussed as well as the positives and negatives to video taping general meetings. The actual videotaping would focus on Council members and community members would not be seen, even addressing Council and other community members. Several community members shared their concerns on video taping as well others voicing their support for it.

Call Out For Land

“The MCA Property Acquisition Team is seeking interested landowners who have land for sale with the northern (Canadian portion of the territory of Akwesasne.” Council made it clear this notice is not a guarantee to any landowners that any property would be purchased. The acquisition of land by MCA would be used for housing, social programming (outreach centers, food banks, homeless shelter), health programing (district clinics, outreach centers), and administrative purposes. There would be a cap on any land bought by MCA of $6000.00 per acre.

A community member expressed her concern over the lack of housing for elders who are looking for smaller housing and shared property care. Council members stated this was discussed in 2000. Council members stated with the acquisition of land this could possibly be an identified future facility.

North Dakota Pipeline Protest

Two MCA Chiefs along with two MCK chiefs traveled to the Standing Rock – Red Warrior camp to offer words of support and to present the camp with needed supplies. MCA and MCK will host a number of “coat and jacket drives” for the camp. They will also have ongoing drop centers identified throughout the community. Notices will be placed in the paper and announced on CKON. The fight for clean water is ongoing and a fight which is quite familiar to the Mohawks of Akwesasne. The Iroquois Caucus paid for the travel expenses of the Chiefs to Standing Rock.

Drop off locations for clean, used winter coats and jackets have been identified as Kanonhkwatsheriio Health facility, Seven Dancers Coalition on Route 37, Iohahiio and the Kawehnoke Recreation Center.

Tsi Snaihne Walking Trail Initiative

The construction of the Tsi Snaihne Walking Trail is underway and on schedule with donations from community members and the reuse of materials from former projects and teardowns. Old material from the recreation center will be repurposed for benches along the walk. This trail will be a four-season trail.

Community members expressed a need for a walking trail in each district. A walking trail was proposed on Kawehnoke but residents would not agree to sign off on the proposed trail path on their property.

Business from the Floor

A community member asked where Abram Benedict was and he shared his concerns over the petition to remove the Grand Chief from his position. He stated the petition isn’t following a proper and formal protocol to be effective. This community member stated he was asked to sign and refused. The same man also stated the Crown cannot give Indian Land back to a corporation (Cornwall/MCA Harbor) and the signing of the land was done improperly and illegally and should have been done with a referendum.

Several community members stated their concerns of having Mike Biron back on the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Force. Biron was relocated to the RCMP with AMPS being his source of salary.

Chief Steve Thomas stated there is a process to follow and no one had brought this to the Akwesasne Police Commission.

A community member stated, “I was there when they pulled the victims from their car, I was there at court when Biron was tried. And I was there at the meeting where community members told Council we didn’t want him here. Why is he here?”

Community members reminded Thomas and Council of the Kawehnoke community meeting with over 200 community members present all voicing their concern over having Biron on the AMPS police force.

Community members also reminded the Council of Chiefs of their responsibility to protect this community and its members.

Thomas then stated it was up to the community members to do something about this.

A community member stated, “We brought it to you, with 200 hundred community members present, we brought it to you (Council). That was historic, that should be in your records. Safety is an issue here. This issue was dealt with, why is he here now? We voted you in Council in the best interest in our hearts. You can’t put it on the police commission. Where is the power of the people? We do not want him here. We had a special meeting on this; find that document on that meeting. It’s up to you as Council to protect us.”

Chief Connie Lazore stated police issues are brought to their table but there is process to follow and referred back to the Police Commission.

A community member stated this was dealt with years ago and now it’s showing its ugly head again.

A community member had concerns over the pipes under the new bridge to Cornwall. It is general infrastructure pipes.

A community members stated concerns over fuel assistance for the winter for Akwesasne community members who live in Cornwall.

She was told by Council she could apply for hardship funds.

The community member asked why Akwesasne community members who live in Cornwall need to apply for “hardship funds” when others who live within the territory do not have to.

Council stated they are working on this.

A community member stated her concern over the continued abuse and mistreatment of the CBSA while crossing in Cornwall.

Council stated CBSA officers are now taking cultural sensitivity training and this training will become required. MCA will meet with CBSA, the SRMT and MNCC on September 30 to discuss this issue. Council has met with CSA, CBSA, US Homeland Security and is working with AFN on this issue as it affects First Nations across the US/Canadian border. Aaron Terrance, MCA Paralegal, will be meeting with CBSA. There he will ask what questions CBSA officers need to query Akwesasne community residents on and what questions do we have to answer.

Council stated a feasibility study is being completed to move the CBSA port to the American side.

Next General Meeting is October 27, at 6:00pm at the St. Regis Recreation Center.

MCA is also holding a series of Open House Sessions

October 12 4pm to 8pm at the St. Regis Recreation Center

October 15 from 11am to 3pm at the Kawehno:ke Recreation Center

October 22 from 10am to 2pm at the Tsi Snaihne Recreation Center