Eastern Door Volume 8 Number 10

Volume 8 Number 10

April 2, 1999

MCK/Quebec Officially Sign Agreements
By: Kenneth Deer

With the stroke of a pen, ten agreements between the Quebec Government and the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) were signed under the glaring lights of the media.

"We will do everything possible that they may be successful," said Grand Chief Joe Norton. "Up to and including pestering the gentleman on my left (Mr. Bernard Landry) here to make sure they live up to the spirit of these arrangements as I'm sure they will do the same to me."

"This is an historical event. It promotes harmony between nations," said Deputy Premier who is also Finance Minister Bernard Landry. "There are many sad episodes in the world at this moment (referring to events in Kosovo where there is no harmony)."

Representing Kahnawake at the table were Norton, Chief Phillip Jacobs, negotiators Mike Bush and Alwyn Morris. Quebec was represented by Landry, Native Affairs Minister Guy Chevrette, and negotiator Louis Bernard. The signing was preceded with a press conference by Mike Bush and Louis Bernard to answer questions on the development and details of the agreement.

The agreements, which were outlined in last week's The Eastern Door, include a system to eliminate sales tax on goods purchased off reserve, with the exception of taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and fuel which are dealt with differently; user fees for our roads with Quebec paying Kahnawake two million dollars a year; the recognition of Kahnawake's Intoxicants Law; recognition of Kahnawake's Athletic Commission; the establishment of Kahnawake's own registry for births, deaths and marriages; the establishment of a new type of Justice of the Peace to handle a broader range of cases in Kahnawake; access to economic development funds and access by Step-By-Step and Daycare to Quebec funding.

Judging from the reactions at the press conference, the idea of a swipe card for Kahnawakero:non was the most important topic. The media peppered the negotiators with questions about the possible misuse and abuse of these cards. Bush responded that a special office will be set up in Kahnawake to monitor the use of the card and abuses can be quickly identified.

When asked how this will affect the average person in Kahnawake, he pointed out that these agreements are designed to correct a system out there that is causing harm to the average person. These agreements create forums to finding solutions for individual problems in many areas.

Asked what is Kahnawake giving up, Bush said they did not go into these negotiations like a labor/management dispute. "We did not give up anything. We negotiated solutions to problems," said Bush.

When asked what is in these agreements for Quebec, Landry said, "It is in the interest of every good citizen to fight (the) black market and dishonest means of enrichment. We search for that goal as well as they. If the economy is transparent, everyone will be happier. We all want economic growth and prosperity. We want Kahnawake to be a prosperous and wealthy place just like the rest of Quebec."

The agreements will come into effect at different times. Some will take longer to implement than others. Some will need legislation to be passed in the National Assembly.

Feds excluded

The Federal government was not a party to these agreements and there was some negative comments in the press from them. Contacted by The Eastern Door, a spokesman for the Federal Finance department said that the government has a problem with some of the fiscal arrangements in the agreements.

"We base our relations with Aboriginals on two principles. One is that Aboriginals are exempt from taxes on goods delivered on reserve as described in Section 87 of the Indian Act. Second, in all other circumstances, Aboriginals are to be treated as all other Canadians. This has been confirmed by the Supreme Court recently.

"The agreement between Kahnawake and Quebec defies the Court (by allowing tax free purchases off reserve) and in our view it discriminates between Aboriginals and Canadians."

When asked why the Feds don't object to Ontario's no-sales-tax program for Natives, the spokesman said that is different.

"In the Quebec agreement, Aboriginals can collect taxes from non-Aboriginals and keep the taxes. This is not federal policy. We prefer that the government collect the taxes and reimburse the Aboriginals."

Norton says that the Feds have the wrong idea. "They are confusing price parity with taxation. They should be happy that this price war is not going on," said Norton.

Norton is hoping that a summit meeting with the appropriate ministers will take place soon to rectify any misconceptions and harmonize the tax issue with Quebec.

Details to be worked out

Of all the agreements, the tax issues are the most complex. Besides sales tax on personal goods consumed by Kahnawakero:non, tax exemptions on tobacco, alcohol and petroleum products will lead to a myriad of regulations to protect our right to tax free goods and to prevent abuse of those rights.

The MCK will announce in the future exactly how these regulations will work.

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Third Meeting On The Custom Code On Membership
By: Greg Horn

Once again the Elders of Kahnawake held a meeting on the proposed Membership Code, at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Tuesday, March 30. There were roughly 100 people in attendance.

The Elders had wanted to begin passing certain sections of the Custom Code, specifically the Three Generations Ancestry principle.

The meeting began after John Curotte did an opening address. Then Thomas Phillips stated that approximately six weeks ago a letter was sent to each of the three Longhouses in Kahnawake. The purpose of this letter was to find out what the Longhouses thought of the proposed code. They are expecting a response from the three Longhouses soon.

A shortened version of the Membership Code was then read. This shortened version contained the main ideas that the complete code outlines. People in attendance were once again given the opportunity to ask questions and voice their concerns about the Custom Code.

Stuart Myiow, Sr., spoke to the people in attendance that he and his family, as well as the People of the Myiow Longhouse had spoke with "those people, but none of our discussions are in those papers, none of them."

"The recommendations were made, that if you want to do the right thing, like it's mentioned in there [Membership Code]," continued Myiow. "They use good words to mislead you, [like] going back to the Kaianarehko:wa. That's not what it's doing, it's taking you away."

"In days of old to strengthen our Nation we brought people in," stated Myiow. "Just like the white people when they first came over here. There was only a handful and then they brought more and more to over-power us."

Paul Deer of the Elders Committee then stated in Mohawk that "the people who came here from Europe were the rejects of Europe, the scum of society."

Other people came up and stated that they did not agree with parts of the Membership Code and that most of the sections were very ambiguous. Another concern was that, yes, this was a hard job to do, but many people were reluctant to agree to the Membership Code, in whole or in part.

"Whenever you make a law," stated Stuart Myiow, Jr. "It has to be constitutionally legal."

Another person to speak was Chris Kahon:wes Deere. Deere presented the Elders with a document entitled "Haudenosaunee Kanienkehaka Mohawk Nation Roots of Citizenship: A draft declaration for all nine Haudenosaunee Kanienkehaka Mohawk Communities on Sovereignty through National identity and the removal of the Colonial system of Blood Quantum."

"It's pretty sad that so many people want to pass a document like this [Membership Code]," stated Deere. "I grew up in this town and they always tell you that you're Mohawk, you're a member of a Nation. Next thing you know they try to tell you you're going to be subject to some document that turns you into a member of a club. As far as I know everyone in this community is a member of the Mohawk Nation."

"What country in the world takes people who lived there all there lives, I'm not saying that everyone is perfect, [but] all of a sudden…they get rid of you because something in your background doesn't fit. I don't know what the difference is between this and blood quantum."

"I got this 15 page document that I wrote, that mysteriously got filed in some filing cabinet," said Deere. "I said, 'Here you want an alternative, I wrote one.' Oh, but I'm just a kid on the street and nobody cares. As far as I'm concerned, this document, and this is just my own opinion, is 100,000 times better than this thing [Membership Code]. If you want a suggestion, I have a document right here that you all can have."

Another woman stated that, "the Great Law is outdated and they're just trying to update it."
When the Elders asked those present to stand if they agreed with the Three Generations Ancestry principle, no one stood up.

There was a suggestion that a more productive way is needed to pass the Membership Code. When people are given a chance to voice their concerns at these meetings nothing gets accomplished.

The suggestion was to have people picked at random to participate in focus groups to discuss the Membership Code.

The next meeting will be announced soon.

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PKs Find Youths Unconscious
By: Greg Horn

While on patrol on the evening of Monday, March 29, the Kahnawake Peacekeepers came across two youths, one 15 and one 16-year-old, who were unconscious in front of Lafleur's Market. Two ambulances were required to transport the youths to a hospital.

Parents of the youths were immediately contacted by Peacekeepers.

"We are definitely going to pursue charges," stated Chief Peacekeeper Warren Lahache of the suppliers of the drugs or alcohol. "If it was alcohol, we will find out where they got it from and press charges and we'll do the same if it is drugs."

Youths gather in a number of places in Kahnawake such as Lafleur's, behind the Kateri School and behind the Kateri Hall where alcohol and drugs are suspected to be consumed.

This incident comes just a few weeks after another youth was taken to hospital for an alcohol overdose.
In cases such as this, the Social Services branch of the Kahnawake Shakotiia'takehnhas Community Services has certain procedures they would follow.

"Medical assistance would take precedence," stated Vickie Coury-Jocks, of Social Services at KSCS. "We would then do a follow-up with the youth and the family."

The follow-up would include an addictions assessment. After the results are known of the assessment, then more services will be offered. These services would range from group or individual counseling and addictions treatment. They also offer Youth Protection Services, Prevention Programs and a Youth Program, where they have an adolescent youth group.

The youth and the family have to be willing to receive help before Social Services can come to their assistance.

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The Ship for World Youth - "Celebrating Diversity:
By: Lynn Katsitsaronkwas Jacobs

Imagine, being rocked to sleep gently at night inside the womb of a huge cruise ship, waking to dolphins playfully following the boat at sunrise, then a leisurely buffet breakfast with 271 young people from 13 countries around the Pacific Rim whom I soon called friends. The Nippon Maru, a beautiful cruise ship complete with pool, theater, dining hall, ball room, lounges, and conference rooms, was our home for the past two months.

My incredible experiences on this trip have been a dream made real by the Japanese government which sponsors and administers the Ship for World Youth program every year. The aim of the program is to "foster the spirit of international cooperation and the competence to practise it". I applied on a whim and was

honored to be selected to represent this part of the world.

Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga, the Solomon Islands, Canada, the United States, five Latin American countries (Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and
Uruguay), and of course Japan were the countries invited this year to participate in the Ship for World Youth program.

Our days started with morning assembly in Dolphin Hall where the extremely organized Japanese administration would instruct us on our activities for the day. These would include seminars by United Nations instructors, discussion groups, sports or club activities, National Presentations given by each delegation, free time, or in-port activities.

We were each placed in a letter group which included people from every country. It is with this group that we spent most of our time sharing and learning about each other, not only on a cultural level but also on a personal level. We learned about the important issues we face in our countries and our communities, and discussed possible solutions. We also shared each other's dances, songs, customs, and crafts.

We were privileged to visit seven countries on our journey around the Pacific ocean including Japan, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tahiti, Ecuador, Mexico, and Hawaii. Our experiences in these countries were enriched by the exceptionally warm welcome we received and by our new friends who served as our hosts and guides of their beautiful countries.

With the other Indigenous people on the ship, I formed an Indigenous discussion group which met to talk about the histories, issues, and to present problems facing our peoples. I became very good friends with many of the Indigenous people of the small island countries, as well as with a Maori man from New Zealand, and an Australian Aboriginal man. Together we examined the differences and incredible similarities in our cultures, and addressed so many interesting issues which I will share with you next week in an article specifically dedicated to the exceptional young Indigenous people I met.

Our days were filled with a wealth of incredible learning experiences, not just from the seminars and discussions, but primarily from the personal conversations with other young people with cultures, issues, and points of view so unique and different from our own.

Through the friendships we formed, we honored and celebrated our diversity every day. Yet, at the core of it all, we learned that as people, irrelevant of race or culture, we are very similar in that we share a goal of a brighter future for our children. The Ship for World Youth program helped us to strengthen our commitment to make positive changes in our countries and communities.

I would like to thank the community for the incredible support that was offered in the form of guidance, and donations for my preparations to represent our people in this incredible program.

A special thank you goes out to the Caisse Populaire, the Marina, the Legion, the Knights of Columbus, the MCK, Native American Products, Joe Deom Associates, Kahnawake Tourism, IRT, A'nowara Crafts, the Kanien'kehaka Raotitiohkwa Cultural Center, Laurie Beauchamp, Sedalia Fazio, as well as other individuals who provided me with invaluable support.

Nia:wen kowa for helping to make my journey such an enriching experience.

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Interest In Field Lacrosse...Is There Any Out There?
By: Jamie Kirby

When was the last time Kahnawake had a senior field lacrosse team here? It sure hasn't been around in my 24 years on the planet.

That can change if I can get players who want to learn the game and play in the Ottawa Field Lacrosse League this spring and early summer. They have only three teams right now, and would like us to join if we get enough interest around here.

I have been talking with one of the reps through the internet, first for myself to play this summer, but then I thought to myself, why not just start a team here.
So here I am asking, who wants to play the field version of the great game of lacrosse?

The game has ten players on the field at all times, unless you get a penalty (which is only 30 seconds long).

There are a lot of rules in the game, but they can be learned pretty quickly. If I could get a list of players together in the next few weeks, then we can get a schedule in order that would not interfere with the ILA and the OLA schedules.

So any players that are playing for any Kahnawake team or the Ganienkeh Gunners will not miss any games by playing in this league.
This game shouldn't be limited to box players, but to players who just want to try out.

I played on a house league field team last fall and winter with players who were brand new to the game and by the end of the year, some of them were on the top of the game.

Should this thing fly, we would need volunteers during games and for possible fund-raisers.
It's a great honor for me to know that our community was the first ever to field a team that was inducted into the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame last November in New Westminster, B.C.

A lot of people don't know this, but it was actually in the field lacrosse division, and not box.

We should all back up this honor, so anyone who wants to sign up, pass by the Kahnawake Youth Center after 1:00 p.m. and just put your name and position on a sheet of paper.

I'd like to see some new faces on the field this spring, so don't be scared and just come see for yourself.

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Kahnawake Friendship Invitational Skates Off A Success
By: Al Briand

Over an 11-day span from March 18-28, the Kahnawake Sports Complex was iced over with frozen smiles of kids as they competed in the ninth edition of the Friendship Invitational event.

They came from as far west as Vaudreuil-Dorion and as far south as Plattsburgh, but overall, they all came to play.

From MAHGs to Midgets, all teams had an excellent time at experiencing hockey at its best.

The fan support was in abundance over the duration, which saw on three occasions, the home town crowd walking away with the hardware.

The Novice C Mohawks finally got what they deserved in the playoffs, by defeating the Chateauguay Bruins by a score of 6-3, the Atom A playoff champs continued to roll as they defeated the Chateauguay Kings 2-1 in overtime while the Bantam B playoff victors won easily in their championship game 5-0.

Mark Standup, Chairman of Kahnawake Minor Hockey, said that apart from a few minor glitches, everything went off according to plan.

"Each year, we have always had the problem with volunteers coming out to help the event. This year was no different, but for those that were there, they were extremely important," said Standup.

Francis White, who coaches the Pee-Wee B Mohawks and is Chairman of the Friendship Festival, said a lot a changes had to be made during the tournament, due to other teams playing elsewhere.

"Our schedule looked like a road map at the end. A lot of teams were playing in other tournaments or in regional playoffs. But we managed to get the job done. If this was a sanctioned tournament, we wouldn't be allowed to make the changes that we did. But we're not going to go that route," stated White.

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Editorial

Alcohols And Drugs Are Epidemic
By: Kenneth Deer, The Eastern Door

Again, the warning signs of a drug and alcohol problem, which is out of control in this community, are being flashed on the front pages of this newspaper.

Will it take the death of a child to wake up an apathetic community to what is happening under everyone's nose? The recent rash of overdosing youths is not necessarily an aberration or a string of bad luck. It is clearly a sign that alcohol and drugs are part of the normal pastime of many of our youth and that things are getting out of control.

Alcohol use by young people has always been with us. Talk to almost any adult and they will tell about their first alcoholic drink before they came of legal age. Some of those adults had the same close encounter with overdosing as our youth today. Are our youth now imitating our adults?

This is not to pass all the blame onto the adults or take the responsibility away from the youths themselves. But young people are impressionable, and their parents, relatives, neighbors and friends can influence their behavior.

We can't change how we behaved when we were their age but we can change how we react to how they behave. For instance, how many adults knew that our young people were gathering in certain parts of town to consume alcohol or use drugs? And what did we do about it? Did we ignore it? Or perhaps you felt helpless to prevent it? Or maybe you said to yourself that it was up to the Peacekeepers to enforce the law and Social Services to follow-up?

Legally one is an adult at 18 years of age but many of those aged 18 to 20, seem all too ready to supply alcohol and drugs to minors.

Young adults are supporting the abuse which they probably indulged in when they were youths. Are they contributing to the myth that it is 'cool' to drink and use drugs? The lack of leadership by young adults to prevent youth drinking is contributing to the extreme abuse of drugs and alcohol. They should be asking themselves whether they are contributing to an epidemic rise in alcohol abuse.

But the youth themselves are ultimately to blame. Just because they are under 18 does not mean they are below the age of reasoning. In most cases, they know exactly what they are doing. They are better educated on substance abuse than any other generation. We shouldn't coddle them and blame the rest of the world. They are just as responsible for their behavior as anyone else, and we should treat them that way.

Therefore, as individuals and as a community, we should support efforts made by parents, law enforcement and social agencies to fight this growing epidemic of alcohol and drug abuse. We cannot ignore it any longer, nor can we say that its someone else's problem. We all have a role to play in reducing if not totally eliminating alcohol and drug abuse.
There are a number of things you can do. Don't be an 'enabler' by obtaining alcohol or drugs for minors. Don't allow opportunities in any area you control, such as your home and yard, for the consumption of intoxicants. Make it as difficult as possible for drug pushers to operate in this community.

Call the Peacekeepers at any sign of suspicious behavior. And talk to your children, now, not after its too late.

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