Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Hosts First General Meeting of 2020

By Jaclyn Hall

The first General Meeting of the year was held at the St. Regis Recreation Center, on Thursday January 23rd. Beginning at 6pm, Council began with a call to order, consisting of Council’s attendance and a moment of silence for recently deceased community members. Council went on to accept the agenda, before going over the rules of order.

Next on the agenda, was a follow up of November 2019 Action items.

The first presentation held during the General Meeting was a presentation by AMBE’s Board of Trustees. Board members briefly went over the different types of services they offer. Ending with an invitation for community members to attend and/or join the board. For more information, you can visit http://www.ambe.ca

Next on the agenda, a presentation by Akwesasne Non-Insured Health Benefits, going over the different benefits and services they have to offer. Included was an update in vision care with increases in benefits for the Ontario Region. For more information on Non-Insured Health Benefits, you can visit http://www.canada.gc.ca/nihb.

Next on the agenda; an update on the Dundee/Tsi:karistisere Land Claim. After the Akwesasne Court reviewed 5 appeals submitted by community members, the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has received official notification that the results of the October-December 2018 community referendum on the Tsi:karistisere/ Dundee Land Claim Settlement Agreement are valid.

Council is currently consulting with financial managers in preparation for receiving the settlement. A new series of educational meetings and information campaigns will be conducted to gather the community’s feedback for the financial aspects of the claim. Decisions as to the use of the compensation amount will not be made without community input and consultation.

Next on the agenda, an update on discussions between CBSA, MCA and MNCC regarding border issues. On April 1-2, representatives from Mohawks of Akwesasne First Nation and the Government of Canada met to discuss concerns related to the Cornwall Port of Entry and to find potential solutions that could improve the situation for all parties. The Government of Canada was represented by senior staff from:

Canadian Border Service Agency

Customs and Immigration Union

Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada

Transport Canada

Public Safety Canada

Royal Canadian Mounted Police

The Mohawks of Akwesasne First Nation (MAFN) was represented by:

Mohawk Council of Akwesasne

Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs

Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe

Akwesasne Tourism Working Group

Akwesasne Youth Council

Approximately sixty participants discussed how to minimize the impact of the border, how to create a safer environment for all concerned and how to minimize economic impact of the border and the bridge tolls on Akwesasne residents and businesses:

The June 17 Workshop focused on progress in three areas:

Elaborating agreed upon principles that underpin the initiative

Establishing a collaborative governance model that would suit the ongoing nature of this work

Determining actionable items, with both partners, to make the first tangible steps forward.

Additionally, participants continued to discuss potential ways to acknowledge the specific events that occurred in 2009 and find concrete actions to demonstrate each group’s commitment to moving forward together. Although that conversation is far from concluded, there is continued progress and a commitment on both sides to demonstrating change through action.

Next on the Agenda, an update on MCA’s Special Needs Policy. Some of the changes that are in the making are: the Executive Director has asked MCA Programs to ensure that they have Special Needs accessible programming (for example; free movies for our families, free swimming, VIP access at Trunk or Treat, working towards our own Jordan’s Principle Navigators, Special Needs Advocates)

Council continues to:

Do site visits with several agencies outside of Akwesasne to see their Special Needs Programs and Activities

Review Special Needs Policy

Be committed to establishing a Special Needs Support Services Program to meet our community’s needs and grow and adapt as our needs change in the future.

Next on the agenda was business from the floor, where the floor was opened to community members to ask questions and voice their concerns.

Some of the questions asked:

Q: Will there be workshops on Indian Day School?

A: No date yet, but there is application at our office, and you can go to their website: Indiandayschools.com.

Q: Who from the Mohawk Nation, was at the table for the CBSA meeting?

A: Bula Hill, Howard Thompson, Richard Mitchell and Rick Oakes.

Once business from the floor finished, the next district and general meetings were announced:

Kawehno:ke Recreation Center – February 10th

Tsi Snaihne Recreation Center – February 10th

St. Regis Recreation Center – February 17th

Next General Meeting will be held at the Tsi Snaihne Recreation Center – February 27th

All meetings begin at 6:00 pm.