August 14, 2012

Letter to the editor

Time to Move?

This week there is so much information attacking me that I am overwhelmed. What do we as a community expect of our leaders? Do we accept deals that are cut behind closed doors that have an effect on everyone?

I am referring to instances where recommendations have been made by qualified staff and those recommendations are not followed through. Processes have been put in place to hire and fire people, but these departments are not always utilised for their intended purposes.

Job postings should always be made open to everyone who would like to apply, and creating positions for certain individuals is not fair to others that may be qualified to fill those positions. Who benefits when these decisions are made?

Why do we allow this to happen? Why aren’t we outraged as a community and demand that Mohawk Council of Akwesasne be more transparent?

Business plans that have recommendations from staff that they are not feasible, and some MCA Chiefs feel that it should be given a go ahead anyway. Why is there staff if council doesn’t want to abide by their recommendations?

We, the members of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne need to be more assertive in our expectations of Council.

We need to tell Council how we feel about issues before they become problems that end up as disasters.

One area that I am particularly disheartened with is land transfers. Thousands of dollars have been spent on legal fees, and to what avail? Issues have tried to be remedied with Council and at times it falls on deaf ears. You get the response of, ‘we will look into it’ and you never hear from the person again.

Messages from members not residing on the territory have come to me with concerns regarding land transfers and estates that have question marks on them.

Is it time for all those with land issues to gather together and form a class action suit against Mohawk Council of Akwesasne for their ineptitude in dealing with these issues? There are ways to handle these land disputes that are fair and equitable for everyone involved. You must be able to think outside of the box, and the current council does not seem to be able to do that.

AKWESASNE, it is up to you to see that we continue to grow as a caring community. Elders do not need to be thought of as second-class citizens. Our children and their children need to have a safe environment to live in. Some of the stresses that have hit our community are drug abuse, spousal abuse, and the numerous social ills that have created an unhealthy environment.

The tension can be felt as soon as you hit the rez. There is much dysfunction in the community and it is also in our government. If you don’t follow the leader, you are considered a persona non grata.

What do you think? Is it time to make a move?

Beverly Pyke