A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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In what was filled almost from the minute it was posted, Bill Loran’s Traditional Beaded Medicine Bag Class wrapped up amidst raucous celebration, or maybe not, but the class was pretty animated and everyone was having a ball. The class was held over 3 weeks and there were two classes a week. In the class the students completed at least 1 bag, but most got a second one in. Not only was the class teaching the skills to make medicine bags, but there was a cultural and language component as w...
Some of you may know well-traveled photographer Herbi M. Francis. Francis is soon to enjoy the accolades her work surely deserves at an exhibition entitled “Existence: of All That Is, Was & Became”, which will be presented by the Foothills Art Society, all through the month of October. Existence will be shown at 213 Main St. in Malone NY right next to the Foothills Art Society. I say next to because Francis was able to convince show organizers to show her work in a larger space, giving her licen...
You may have seen a sign in Akwesasne announcing border wait times located just across the road from Twin Leaf as you have traveled in or out of Akwesasne this last week. The sign is the result of a partnership between the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Canada Border Service Agency. Kanatakon District Chief Larry King has worked with a variety of agencies to get approval and make this sign a reality, but it was ultimately the CBSA that ponied up the money to rent the solar powered sign....
There is a survey available at www.akwesasne.ca/ferrysurvey that intends to gauge community interest in a ferry service running from Kanatakon to Kawehnoke. For the future, including a pickup site in Snye is being considered as well. The aim here is to figure out how the community would use a ferry. Even though that may seem obvious, there are other issues that need to be considered too, such as if the community would be willing to support operation and management costs associated with running...
As many of you may already know, broadband is coming to Akwesasne – in fact, it’s already here. For the last year work has been done to complete the 68 miles of fiber which has been run throughout the community. The central office is being built on the corner of Rt. 95 and Rt. 37, which will be the operation center and central hub for the Broadband project. What is planned to be offered at launch will be 70 channels of television, with four stations reserved for local content, a 20 Mbps fib...
At the Akwesasne Museum and Cultural Center, an exhibit by artist Elizabeth “Betts” Doxtator had its final showing which included a talk given by the artist. The exhibit, entitled “Encircles Everything”, used cornhusk dolls to illustrate three separate concepts. The first portion of the exhibit tells the story of the Peacemaker from birth and chronicles different moments that Doxtator felt were important. Doxtator created dolls that were intricately adorned with individual outfits and beadwor...
On a day nearly identical to last year, brisk and beautiful, people gathered in Cornwall’s Lamoureux Park to participate in this year’s “Give the Gift of Life Walk.” The walk aims to raise funds for the Kidney Foundation of Ontario. Kidney Disease affects nearly one in ten Canadians and of the five stages of development, by stage 3 or 4, the patient is on dialysis. For Natives, this offers a bleak prognosis as, statistically, they are less likely to receive a kidney transplant, and the average...
The Akwesasne Powwow took place over the weekend, and it’s so big that it is attracting people all the way from Switzerland! Markus Vollack and Yvonne Dröge are travelers who participate in historical reenactments throughout Europe and the United States. They have day jobs, and children, but both share a tremendous respect and affinity for indigenous culture. Participating in Powwows in the Czech Republic, Germany, Poland, and several in the United States, Vollack and Dröge are following their d...
The fourth annual Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club Be Great Golf Tournament was held on Saturday, September 7, 2013. The weather cooperated and despite a fair bit of wind, the tournament went off without a hitch. Be Great is an initiative adopted by the Boys and Girls Club of America, and consists of a graduation oriented program that follows the children through school. The tournament saw 22 teams, the maximum for the tournament, with members of Cedarview paying $55 and non-members paying $75....
The annual Akwesasne Freedom School Survival Race and Quilt Auction took place over the weekend, on August 24 and 25. This year’s race saw 13 teams competing in five legs of the race: swimming, canoeing, biking, backpacking, and running. The race is conducted relay style with each participant needing to tag off with their teammate before they can start the next leg of the race. The race was won by Team Rez X, with a time of 2 hours and 48 minutes. Coming in second place was Team La Migra, with a...
The summer GED program, held at the Akwesasne Boys and Girls Club, held a graduation ceremony on Friday, August 23, 2013. The ceremony, which included 13 graduates out of the 35 who completed the program, recognized the students achievements and marks the opening of a door. Speakers for the event included Jessica Cree-Jock, who during her speech addressed the students, encouraging them to follow their dreams and continue their education if that’s their wish. Cree-Jock wrapped up her speech by t...
The fourth annual Louie Oakes Memorial Fishing Derby was held over the weekend, August 17th and 18th, at the Tacklebox Marina in Snye. The tournament is held by Tom and Chubby Oakes to honor the memory of Tom Oakes’ father Louie, a well-respected fisherman and river guide. For the last four years, Chubby and Tom Oakes have put their tournament on and each year it has grown. Starting at 7AM Tacklebox Marina has a sale on bait and the group of 39 participants starts out. Prizes were awarded for b...
In a tremendous celebration, the entire community was invited out to celebrate the 60th anniversary of local favorite Bears Den. In a celebration lasting much of the day, a series of activities were available for the community to enjoy. For the kids, of course there were several bouncy houses, a carnival tent with games and you could win a fish by throwing ping pong balls into fish bowls. T-Bear and Cubby were on hand, as well as the Tim Hortons mascot. Over the course of the day, there were...
A potluck picnic was held for seniors at the Seniors Center in Hogansburg on Friday, August 16th. This was the fifth year for the event and was planned by the entire staff, which included the summer students. The event featured a buffet style lunch, where all of the seniors told the staff what they were bringing. There was bingo outside under the tent. Other activities included an Ace to King tournament, a timed word search and a poker walk to cap off the afternoon’s activities. The Seniors c...
In what was a wonderful ceremony, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe held an inauguration ceremony for newly elected Chief Beverly Cook and re-elected Sub-Chief Shelly Jacobs, as well as Chief Judge Peter J. Herne, Traffic Court Judge Steve Cook, and Traffic Court Judge Lois Terrance. Chief Ron Lafrance Jr. recognized and welcomed those who were newly elected. Chief Lafrance described Sub-Chief Jacobs as analytical, and joked maybe a little too much for him. Chief Lafrance noted he has known Chief...
This year’s Sun Life Waterfest was held over the weekend at Lock 19 in the Old Cornwall Canal. Among the many things to do and see at the fest, which included artists, food, and performers, another draw was the dragonboat races. A free event, The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada benefits from the event, with entry fees going to support the foundation. Each team pays $735, which translates to $35 a person. The boats are crewed by 20 people plus the helmsman who steers the boat. At the f...
On Thursday, August 15, MCA’s annual Celebrating Families Community Event was held at Barnhart Beach in Massena. The event was to get families together to participate in family activities. With kids being out of school, it gave families the opportunity to have some fun and a meal for free. There were activities that included arts and crafts like friendship bracelets, pinwheels, beaded necklaces and key rings, and coloring. Activities included a parachute activity, volleyball, water balloon t...
In what is being described as a puzzling ruling on whether to hear a lawsuit seeking to establish the Hogansburg Triangle as inside the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe’s territory, US District Judge Lawrence Kahn has dismissed the suit. Judge Kahn has concluded that his court “cannot interpret a federal law that defines the extent of the State’s jurisdiction,” according to a press release from the St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council. Continuing on, the release states: The Tribe did not ask him to interpret that law and the Tribe was not relying on that la...
It seems that conversations about Salli Benedict include a series of compliments, but one that stands out is that she was a tremendous supporter of the arts in Akwesasne. An accomplished artist in her own right, Benedict had one of the largest collections of baskets in the area. Besides the sheer amount, which number close to 200, 88 of which are on display, another thing that set the collection apart is the variety; collecting fancy, pack and baby baskets, purses, knitting and crocheting basket...
The 2013 Louie E. King Softball Tournament was held over the weekend at the Louie E. King Ballfield behind the American Legion Post in Akwesasne. The purpose of the tournament is to raise funds for college bound high school graduates and consists of a $200 award. The tournament is a two day competition and has 8 teams who pay a $250 entry fee, which goes towards the scholarships. Being a coed tournament, there is a 4 girl on the field rule at all times. There were prizes for the winning teams of...
On Tuesday August 6, Island Recreation Programs got together and held a Jr. Olympics for the kids at the Anowara’ko:wa Arena. The event was put together by summer students Kananakehneh Green, Maegan Thomas, Tommi Lee Thomas, and Kuylin Chaussi, all working for the Anowara’ko:wa Sport & Fitness Program. The events were led by Marilyn Parisien, a lifelong aerobics instructor from Cornwall, who with a PA system guided the kids through several activities. All of the activities were athletic com...
Over several days, members of KAIROS and the OTESHA Project, two groups devoted to Social Justice and fostering Nation to Nation relationships and cultural understanding, spent time in Akwesasne. The tour includes three members of the community who will accompany the group until they reach the Powwow in Tyendinaga. Leaving Akwesasne last Wednesday, the tour will last two and a half weeks, and make stops in several communities along the way. In each of these communities a Blanket Activity will...
There’s a beautiful resource right in our back yard that you may not know about. Thompson Island Cultural Camp is located on, you guessed it, Thompson Island and with so many events being held on the island lately, you may be curious about it if you have not had the opportunity to visit the camp. Run by Bob Stevenson and Waylon Cook, Thompson Island is a gorgeous “eco-tourism” destination. The camp is open to residents and non-residents alike who are looking for a local get-away that features ma...
On Friday August 2, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe held its annual staff appreciation picnic. The picnic catered by Big-E featured a barbeque lunch. There was enough to feed 700 people, and with an attendance of approximately half that, there was plenty of food to go around. There were activities for kids and grownups alike, as well as the beach for a swim. The weather was gorgeous if not for a little bit of rain, but all in all the turnout was great. What might be the most talked about part of th...
You may not have heard about Syracuse based Kanienkehka artist Brandon Lazore, but he is beginning to make big moves in the art scene there. Lazore, whose mother is Carla Delormier, grew up around Syracuse, but has spent lots of time with his family here in Akwesasne. Lazore is nearly finished with his art degree from Onondaga Community College. This degree is an accomplishment in itself as Lazore spent several years away doing construction in Washington, DC and while in DC, Lazore completed no...
