More than 400 athletes, including more than 20 Canadians, speak up about threat of climate change to both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

A joint project to modernize Route 132 has been stalled because Kahnawake refuses to collaborate with elected officials from surrounding municipalities. The prefect of the Roussillon regional county told The Eastern Door he’s been urging the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) to come to the table for years now, but they won’t budge.

MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said they’ve been holding out over concerns their participation will be perceived as them consenting to the project.

“We have to be very careful,” he said. “We don’t want it to be perceived that we’re being consulted and we’re okay with the project, meaning the provincial government can now sidestep and say, ‘Well, you’ve been consulted, and you didn’t raise any concerns.’

“I’ll say it bluntly, it’s a really racist and paternalistic top-down approach,” the MCK grand chief said of the regional county’s approach. “But the project’s still going through at the end of the day, so it’s a really frustrating situation.”

The project revolves around turning the route into an urban boulevard.

“Route 132 needs to be redone,” prefect Christian Ouellette told The Eastern Door in a recent interview.

“We haven’t been able to move forward, because of the demands surrounding the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis,” said Ouellette, also the mayor of Delson, referencing the long-standing land grievance the band council has filed against Canada.

The project dates back to 2017, when the cities of Delson, Sainte-Catherine, and St. Constant announced a joint commitment to modernize the five-KM stretch of the highway that runs through their municipalities. A committee was created then too, grouping together elected officials from surrounding municipalities, in addition to former Council chief Rhonda Kirby. 

Other priorities identified for the committee back then included the creation of a “shared vision” for the project, finding solutions for traffic-related problems, and the drafting of a master plan intended for stakeholders who’d come to be involved in the project. 

Kirby and then MCK technician David Lahache only participated in a few meetings that year before pulling out. A 2021 report in The Eastern Door said the decision to stop attending meetings came down to concerns over development within Seigneury lands.

In the time since then Ouellette said he’s made repeated attempts to encourage the band council to collaborate on the project.

“We don’t want to construct buildings, we want to replace the road,” Ouellette emphasized, adding much of the work will involve repaving the five-KM stretch of highway.

The prefect brought up the offer to collaborate again while meeting with Diabo in late February, who he said told him it was off the table. 

“The grand chief informed us that he wants to wait on the (federal) government’s next steps before going any further. This has prevented us from moving forward with our projects,” Ouellette said.

Discussions between Kahnawake and Canada over the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis land grievance resumed about two years ago, Diabo said. The hope now is to finalize how formal negotiations over the grievance will be conducted, the MCK grand chief said. 

“All of these developments are happening on Seigneury lands, and our intent is to get our land back, so we’re at an impasse,” Diabo said.

“I understand they want to grow and develop, but they’re growing and developing on land that’s not theirs. Those are those hard conversations that we’re going to have to have, and that’s where Canada needs to come in and do their job, the province needs to get involved and do their job,” he added, mentioning the need for consultation. 

The MCK grand chief also expressed concerns over the nature of the proposed work. 

“They want a Decarie-style industrial boulevard,” he said. 

The hope is to expand parts of the road up to four lanes, Diabo said he was told.

“But then you’re going to get to Kahnawake and it’s going back down to a two lane. So, what really is it going to do, besides bog up traffic at the end of the day on our end?”

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A Quebec Superior Court judge has ruled that two Ahkwesahsró:non allegedly involved in a human smuggling operation that led to the deaths of nine people in the St. Lawrence River may be extradited to the United States. 

Stephanie Square and Rahsontanohstha Delormier, both of Akwesasne, are accused of being involved in an operation where migrants were transported to Cornwall Island before being taken across the river by boat, with drivers eventually transporting them deeper into New York State.

It’s alleged one of those operations went wrong in late March of 2023, when the bodies of eight migrants were found in the river. Those pulled from the water were identified as Florin Iordache, 28, Cristina (Monalisa) Zenaida Iordache, 28, and their children, two-year-old Evelin and one-year-old Elyen. The family was Romanian, and both children were Canadian citizens.

The other family found deceased was the Chaudhari family, who were from India, and were identified as Praveenbhai Chaudhari, 50, Dakshaben Chaudhari, 45, Meet Chaudhari, 20, and Vindhi Chaudhari, 23.

The body of Ahkwesahsró:non Casey Oakes, who was allegedly driving the boat, was found in July of that year.

According to authorities, Square asked Delormier to drive the boat that night, but hired Oakes as an alternative when the original vessel broke down.

The allegations are yet to be heard in court. Others involved in the case have already pled guilty in the States, including Dakota Montour and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow.

The decision from Justice Gregory Moore means that it will be up to federal justice minister Arif Virani whether the two will be extradited.

Joel Girard, Square’s lawyer, said that extradition should be rejected by Virani. She is currently facing eight counts including alien smuggling for profit and alien smuggling causing death.

“The bodies were found in Canada, the boat was found in Canada, the police investigation was mostly done by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police,” Girard said. 

“The autopsy was done in Canada, the death certificates are in Canada, the firemen who picked up Delormier on the island were on Canadian water, the screaming in the middle of the river was still a person on Canadian land. So, I do believe that it’s a Canadian court that should prosecute her.”

Delormier, who is facing five counts, is being represented by Antonio Cabral, who, like Girard, is also planning to appeal Moore’s decision.

Both lawyers are planning to send Gladue reports to the justice minister – these are reports that specifically address systemic factors like racism and trauma experienced by Indigenous people which should be uniquely considered throughout the criminal justice process.

While Justice Moore denied a request that Gladue reports be prepared for the Superior Court portion of the process, they can still be raised with the justice minister.

Girard said that the minister has a legal responsibility to consider the reports.

“We talk about detention, rehabilitation, family, and different programs that are offered in Canada but not in the US,” Girard said. “The minister should, or must, take knowledge of these factors before he renders his decision.”

Square and Delormier have 30 days to file for an interim release and appeal, and Girard added that they plan to request a delay so that there is enough time for the minister to read and consider the reports.

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This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

This is a photo collection curated by AP photo editors.

The Associated Press

After pushback from the community on the recently passed Kanesatake Law-Making Process (KLMP), Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) chiefs Brant Etienne and Serge Otsi Simon hosted a community meeting online and on Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio (RKR) 101.7 FM.

The session was notable for two reasons, one being the meeting’s content, with many community members skeptical of the new lawmaking process, and the other being the format itself.

Live on Microsoft Teams and Reviving Kanehsatà:ke Radio (RKR) 101.7 FM, the community had the chance to hear directly from Council chiefs about the legislation and to pose their questions and concerns – albeit filtered through a moderator.

“I’m really grateful for people who took the time to ask those questions,” said Simon in an interview with The Eastern Door. “It really felt good as a governance. I think me and Brant took away that there’s hope that there are members out there that are serious about their governance and their own security.”

Some community members, however, took issue with the meeting, given the schism on Council and the absence of MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille, who was not involved in the KLMP’s passage. Bonspille hosted his own meeting in person on Tuesday, which he billed as an emergency community meeting. 

A message from the office of the grand chief was read out at the end of the RKR broadcast, informing community members of Bonspille’s meeting and its agenda.

That agenda included an update to the Emergency Response Unit investigation, which he has frequently invoked, as well as “Ethic Committee” and the KLMP.

Bonspille has voiced opposition to the KLMP, circulating a notice to local businesses suggesting the legislation could harm their interests.

On Monday, the recently formed Ethics Commission, which is comprised of legal professionals from outside the community, will meet to consider an appeal on whether Bonspille has vacated his position as grand chief.

The Kanesatake Custom Electoral Code dictates that a Council member who has missed three Council or community meetings without a valid reason or “engages in, during their term, any wrongful conduct that affects, interrupts, or interferes with the performance of their duties” has vacated their seat. Bonspille has rarely attended Council meetings this term, but he has argued only meetings he calls are valid.

Bonspille did not return a request for an interview on the public meeting he hosted this week.

Radio meeting

Etienne and Simon began the broadcast by outlining the process behind the KLMP, which included the publication of a draft law nearly nine months ago, followed by online and in-person sessions with the community, before outlining their view that opposition to the KLMP is primarily due to misinformation.

“I think we could dispel some misinterpretations of the KLMP, and not only that, dispel a lot of fear that people have about this,” said Simon on the program.

He mentioned the word zoning as an example of something that made some people reticent and argued that Kanien’kehá:ka have long demarcated areas for different activities, such as ceremonies or hunting.

The early part of the discussion focused on the law’s legal basis, which cites several sources, such as the Indian Act and inherent rights, as well as the Kanesatake Interim Land Governance Act (KILGA), also known as S-24.

“Creating Mohawk laws via the KLMP is not accepting jurisdiction from any outside authority,” said Etienne on air, who emphasized Kanesatake laws have the same standing as federal laws. “We are pushing back the authority of outside governments, whether it’s provincial, municipal, or federal.”

The Council chiefs also spoke about the consultations that would take place for laws pertaining to certain categories.

“Council can’t just unilaterally pull stuff and pass whatever they want,” said Simon.

Several questions were submitted, mostly pertaining to the KLMP. MCK chief Amy Beauvais, who attended the Teams meeting, occasionally chimed in on the air while Etienne and Simon spoke from the radio’s studio.

The first question of the night was how laws will be upheld.

Etienne said security who could uphold more serious infractions is still “a ways off,” but that the Kanesatake Perimeter Security Team or another similar entity could handle something like ticketing vehicles if, for instance, a Kanesatake law modified the speed limit.

Simon emphasized the importance of a security force to provide a buffer.

Another question asked, if only members can vote, whether there is a valid membership code. The MCK chiefs said there is no valid membership code, but that the KLMP means a membership law is now possible.

Other questions asked about the land code, matrimonial law, whether future councils can alter the threshold needed if a law is put to vote, and other issues, including  Tioweró:ton – Kanesatake laws are not in force there.

Expanding on the question of enforcement, one question asked whether a court of competent jurisdiction has been negotiated.

“That’s something that has to be developed,” said Etienne, who said the ultimate goal is to appoint a justice of the peace. In the meantime, he suggested the MCK could negotiate with sister communities to enable Kanesatake cases to be taken to their courts, such as the Court of Kahnawake.

New format

“Overall, it was successful,” said Karahkóhare Syd Gaspé, president of Mohawk MultiMedia Inc., which oversees RKR.

Typically, MCK-led community meetings have been limited only to those community members who are present in person, with many Kanehsata’kehró:non unwilling to participate, with some citing the hostility that can be present.

The local radio station offers a means of informing the community that is more accessible and less prone to such discord; many radio stations, including K1037 Radio in Kahnawake, routinely invite politicians to speak directly to constituents.

“I think we have to be innovative today and use technology to our advantage,” said Gaspé.

“The format provides a safe space to exchange with the elected leaders. It doesn’t replace an in-person meeting, it’s a complementary way to communicate and reach as many people as possible. Each format has its challenges,” he said.

“RKR has provided the medium as a communication tool. We are a neutral, non-partisan, independent organization providing a service, a service that MCK paid for, i.e., RKR is renting the airwaves. We are not favouring one political party. We offer equal opportunity.”

He said the programming was not a consultative process with community members because a lack of a profanity delay system meant the station could not provide a live connection, as it must uphold broadcast rules under its license to operate on the airwaves.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Columbia University on Thursday said it had doled out a range of punishments to students who occupied a campus building last spring during pro-Palestinian protests.

Heaps of refuse from a bathroom renovation found at the lacrosse box Monday morning marks the fifth or sixth similar incident in recent months.

“Right now, it’s like we’re becoming a dumping ground,” said Kane Montour, coordinator of the Kanesatake Perimeter Security Team (KPS). “We’ve got all kinds of toxic chemical waste being dumped here, all these contaminants being dumped here, and now to add to it, bathroom renovations? What else is there to dump?”

Montour and his colleagues spent two hours combing the trash for clues, trying not to prick their fingers or feet with stray nails, a task that was none too pleasant.

“It’s just disgusting, flipping over a toilet bowl and a bathtub,” said Montour.

But the team couldn’t turn up any receipts or mailing addresses. From the boxes they found, it appears the mystery renovator bought materials in high-traffic Laval, meaning KPS can’t exactly stroll into a store and ask if anyone bought a toilet lately.

“It’s very disheartening. It’s sad. At the same time, I’m angry. Myself, I don’t even throw a piece of paper out the window. It’s sad to think that it could be somebody coming not from here dumping it and thinking they can do what they want,” said Montour. “At this same time, which would make it even worse, is if it’s a local community member. This is their territory too.”

After Public Works hauled away the garbage, KPS asked community members to check nearby cameras, but this didn’t turn up any evidence either.

“We pulled the surveillance from a couple of the stores, and we had the surveillance pulled from the (Onen’to:kon Healing Lodge), and we weren’t able to find anything in the time frame,” said Montour.

KPS believes the person who dumped the trash came up through the baseball field, where there are no cameras. He feels more cameras around the community could be one potential tool to stop this kind of dumping.

“I know people here in Kanesatake, they don’t like cameras. They feel they’re being spied on. Someone will probably just break it down anyways, but at the same time I think a lot of people are pissed,” he said.

There are no easy solutions, according to Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) chief Serge Otsi Simon, who is on the environment and justice portfolios.

“It all comes down again to enforcement,” he said. “We don’t have the resources. I really wish we could be allocated these resources to have environmental officers patrolling our community.”

He said if anyone sees anything suspicious, whether at night or during the day, they should report it to KPS.

“It’s the only resource we have right now,” he said. “People like that, we have to get them out of here. These are non-Natives.”

This advice was echoed by Montour, who would like to see community members help hold those who are disrespecting the environment accountable by speaking up.

“If you’re scared and you don’t want to approach somebody, call me. I’m not scared. I’ll approach somebody. When it comes to the environment and it comes to hurting our community, hurting our children, hurting what we have left, I’ll stand up to anybody. It’s not right,” said Montour.

“This I can say, if we find out who’s doing it, and we catch who’s doing it, they’re going to be dealt with.”

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter