Beautify Akwesasne Shares Community's Vision

Community beatification projects are initiatives that help improve and maintain a community's overall appearance for the enjoyment of local residents and guests. A community's attractiveness also supports local economies by instilling a positive feeling and impression for tourists and others - resulting in repeat visits.

For Akwesasne, there is along history of efforts to enhance our community's beauty by implementing measures aimed at safeguarding our local environment. Whether it be ridding our shorelines of debris, removing fallen tree limbs or through our annual roadside cleanup; there is an overwhelming determination to protect and preserve what we visually enjoy today for future generations, as well as for our visitors.

A major benefit of improving our community's aesthetic features is that it provides an opportunity to help diversify our local economy through an Akwesasne tourism industry. Identified as a priority by community members in the 2008 Akwesasne Comprehensive Community Development Plan, the tourism initiative works with local artisans, organizations and others to share Akwesasne's unique, cultural identity in a respectful manner and to provide increased employment for a growing community.

Community beautification projects also serve to strengthen public safety and security, promotes health and wellness, and fosters cultural unity. Since its identification as a high priority project in 2008, a local tourism initiative has steadily gained momentum and support, with more community members looking for ways to contribute toward its ongoing development and implementation.

Raising awareness about the need to enhance our community's appearance has become a universal mantra for community members and will help keep our community economically viable. Either through volunteering their time or as part of a local work crew, there are opportunities for individuals to help our overall effort. The best way to start is with your own individual property and knowing it's contributing toward our community's vision.

Driving through the community these days you can see the efforts individuals have already made, as well as the work the recent work done by the Beautify Akwesasne Crew. Their services are in increasing demand as more people are noticing the results of their efforts, with some often asking after seeing an improved property, "Have those guys been over there? It looks nice!"

The idea to form a community beautification work crew began from conversations that started in 2015 with Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Community Support Manager Dan Bruyere during one of the Akwesasne Tourism Working Group meetings. Thoughts were shared on immediate projects that could be undertaken with little resources, yet with the greatest benefit to the community. The wheels started turning and Bruyere offered a trailer full of yard tools that could be used. Soon after, a proposal was compiled by Akwesasne Area Management Board Partnership Development Officer Beatrice Johnson and Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Economic Development Special Projects Planner Lindsay Tarbell that resulted in Beautify Akwesasne.

Realizing that no one person can handle the level of effort needed to inspire community members to start changing our environment, the efforts of others were soon enlisted - namely the Native North American Travelling College. Being a member of the Working Group, Sarah Rourke agreed to take on the task of helping coordinate the beautification projects. It was a perfect partnership that promoted cultural sensitivity and respect, while combining AAMB's employment opportunities and skill building in assembling a work crew.

Led by Beautify Akwesasne Supervisor Craig Paul Cree; laborers Chad Laffin, Alfred Terrance, Young Joe Rourke, Cory Garrow and Louis John McDonald; immediately began tackling 46 beautification projects during a 130-day time period. They were successful in completing 46 of the 61 work orders they received from community members, with 3-5 days typically devoted to completing a specific project.

Not all beautification projects were the same however, as some of the jobs took longer than anticipated and required the usage of additional equipment, such as wood chippers and other land clearing machinery. Some disabled homeowners had homes completely overgrown with brush, as they were unable to manage it on their own. As a result, the crew had to visit some job sites again. The crew used the woodchipper for 50+ hours of work during the project.

It took a whole team of community organizations and individual volunteers having the same community vision to bring about beautiful things for Akwesasne. From their combined efforts, thousands of people can now drive through Akwesasne and notice all the improvements that have been made for everyone's visual enjoyment.

It is just a start, but we encourage others to join in these efforts to share the best that Akwesasne has to offer.

ABOUT THE AKWESASNE TOURISM COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE:

The Akwesasne Tourism Community Development Initiative began in 2008 as Akwesasne Tourism was identified as a priority in the Akwesasne Comprehensive Community Development Plan (SRMT 2008) and also in the recently completed Akwesasne Comprehensive Community Plan (MCA 2016).

The initiative is guided by the Akwesasne Tourism Working Group (ATWG) made up of representatives from Native North American Travelling College (NNATC), Akwesasne Cultural Center & Museum (ACCM), Onkwehon:we Arts Council (OAC), Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs (MNCC), Akwesasne Area Management Board (AAMB), Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (MCA), Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT).

After the successful completion of several projects, events, plans and publications, the ATWG's most recent accomplishment is the completed Akwesasne Tourism Strategic Action Plan (ATSAP) in 2016, which identifies several objectives that are currently being worked on within the ATWG sub-groups.