Dissecting the asbestos file

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) finally released the long-awaited executive summary of the Asbestos Civil Investigation’s final report. However, many unanswered questions remain regarding accountability, decision-making, and transparency. Last Friday, MCK executive director Onerahtókha (Karlie) Marquis, chief Cody Diabo and the investigation’s community observer Doug Lahache participated in a press

Grand chief deals with death threat

After outside media reports started circulating online about the Quebec government investing $3.3 million for a hotel project in Kahnawake, the reaction by some in the community was swift and hostile. Posts on social media included threats of violence against the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) and specifically grand chief Kahsennenhawe

A fiery goodbye

Carl “Bo” Curotte was known as a fighter. He fought for his people’s rights. He was a rebel with many causes and believed that the old ways were the right way. He was a traditionalist who spent half his life learning about who he was and what it meant to be

Standing up for his Indigenous heritage

(Courtesy Tsyoyunthu Adriana Poulette) Community member Tsyoyunthu Adriana Poulette and her two boys Tharahkwisere Stacey, 11, and Tahaniehtatihentho Stacey, 9, were so excited when they heard that the boys had been cast in a mini-series. It was the first such experience for both boys, said Poulette. The mini-series is about residential schools,

Father Lajoie investigation launched

An independent investigation regarding allegations of sexual abuse against the late father Léon Lajoie began this week. The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) informed the community that King International Advisory Group would be heading the investigation. The investigative firm was retained and commissioned by the Jesuits of Canada. “Our intention is to

New course stirs criticism

(Denis Gros-Louis. Courtesy First Nations Education Council) After Quebec announced the new mandatory Citizenship and Culture program for elementary and high school students, First Nations groups across the province expressed concerns and criticized the new curriculum. Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Ross Montour called it “colonialism all over again.” “It is clear

Indigenous child welfare fight continues

(Courtesy Caring Society) Last Friday, the federal government filed an appeal to challenge a Federal Court decision that upheld a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) order to compensate Indigenous children who were victims of the child-welfare system. However, the government also announced that it would sit down with First Nations groups to