Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

Akwesasne voters went to the polls Saturday to elect new leadership to the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and while there is a new grand chief set to take office, the office isn’t new to him. Mike Mitchell defeated Timothy “Dooley” Thompson with 385 votes to Thompson’s 334.

The leadership change comes at a time when MCA has been held to the community’s highest expectations in years. The border crisis has resulted in the bridge crossing from the U.S. to Canada at Akwesasne to be closed for the past month.

Thompson, who was serving his first 3-year term as grand chief, responded this week to the election results.

“I was honored for the past three years to have represented Akwesasne as Grand Chief,” he stated. “I took great respect for the position and I did the job to the best of my ability. For the most part I had a great council to work with and we were a team. Having that team in place for Akwesasne gave us the chance to accomplish many great things for Akwesasne including the OPG Agreement, Enbridge Agreement and the Kawehno:ke Land Claim, and also the Three Nations Bridge Agreement. If you look at that record we were able to bring in to MCA in excess of 50 million dollars in the three years.”

Thompson also noted that during his term MCA worked closely with the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe and Mohawk Nation Council to bring back the Akwesasne Wolf Belt, which represented a working relationship between the three councils.

”I was honored to be a part of that sacred event,” he said.

Thompson’s term will officially expire this week and the newly elected members of council will be sworn-in to office on July 6. Thompson expressed his positive attitude on the work that he has done in the past three years.

“I am very proud of our accomplishments and I have nothing to be ashamed of,” he said. “I am one person that can say I walk proudly and hold my head up high with that record on the books for MCA. I wish the new council the very best under the new leadership that the community has chosen.”

Mitchell, who could not be reached immediately by phone, has served previously as grand chief and district chief with MCA. He has been both praised and criticized for his high-profile leadership during the 1990 crisis. Mitchell was currently serving as director of the Ronathahonni Cultural Centre on Kawehno:ke.

Also on Saturday, elections were held for all twelve district chief positions. Nine of the existing district chiefs were re-elected, with three new members to join council, one in each district.

On Kawehno:ke (Cornwall Island), Abram Benedict, Wesley Benedict and Cheryl Jacobs were all re-elected to second terms while Nona Benedict was not. Brian David was voted in as the fourth Kawehno:ke representative.

In Kana:takon (St. Regis), Larry King, Florence Phillips and Julie Phillips Jacobs were all re-elected while Connie Hall was not. Rachel Roundpoint will serve as the new fourth district chief. King and Phillips will serve their third consecutive terms with MCA, an honor no other current Council member shares.

In the district of Tsi Snaihne (Snye), Joseph Lazore, William Sunday and Morris John Adams were re-elected to the second terms while Louie Lazore was not. Karen Loran was elected to the fourth position.

All 13 members of MCA serve three-year terms.

See full voting results below:

Kawehnoke

Abram Benedict 142

Kathy Benedict 21

Lloyd Benedict 41

Nona Benedict 38

Wesley Benedict 107

Dennis Chaussi 55

Gary Cole 58

Brian David 94

Antoine Junior Delormier 73

Thomas Francis 90

Cheryl Jacobs 149

April Elaine Lazore 54

Laura Morris 92

Robert White 62

Kawehnoke Grand Chief Votes Cast

Mike Mitchell 189

Tim Thompson 107

Ronald Sunday 10

Kawehnoke

Advance Polls 18

Acceptable Ballots 287

Spoiled Ballots 7

Voided Ballots 0

Unused Ballots 482

Declined Ballots 1

Total Ballot Tally 795

Tsi Snaihne Chief Votes Cast

John Adams 129

Theresa Cole 71

Darlene Cook 77

Katherine Cook 86

Mike Francis 29

Joe Lazore 193

Leonard Lazore 81

Louie Lazore 113

Andrea Lazore- Phillips 29

Karen Loran 138

Charlene Sunday 108

William Sunday 215

Theresa A. Thompson 61

Tsi Snaihne Grand Chief Votes Cast

Mike Mitchell 139

Tim Thompson 142

Ronald Sunday 76

Tsi Snaihne Grand Chief Votes Cast

Advance Polls 20

Acceptable Ballots 365

Spoiled Ballots 1

Voided Ballots 1

Unused Ballots 419

Declined Ballots 8

Total Ballot Tally 794

Kanatakon District Chief Votes Cast

Crystal Delormier- Bay 32

Connie Hall 52

Johanne Jackson 48

Amanda Jacobs 28

Larry King 82

Danielle Oakes 45

Florence Phillips 68

Julie Phillips-Jacobs 55

Rachel Roundpoint 55

Diane Lazore Sawatis 18

Ronald Thompson 4

Kanatakon Grand Chief Votes Cast Total

Mike Mitchell 57 385

Tim Thompson 85 334

Ronald Sunday 9 95

Kanatakon Grand Chief Votes Cast

Advance Polls 6

Acceptable Ballots 145

Spoiled Ballots 0

Voided Ballots 0

Unused Ballots 263

Declined Ballots 0

Total Ballot Tally 414

District Candidates Duly Declared Elected

Kawehnoke

Cheryl Jacobs 149

Abram Benedict 142

Wesley Benedict 107

Brian David 94

Tsi Snaihne

William Sunday 215

Joe Lazore 193

Karen Loran 138

John Adams 129

Kanatakon

Larry King 82

Florence Phillips 68

Julie Phillips-Jacobs 55

Rachel Roundpoint 55

MCA GRAND CHIEF Duly Declared Elected

Michael Mitchell 385