Letter to the Editor

 


Letter to the Editor

My name is Agnes Terrance and I have some concerns to share. Prior to my return to Akwesasne, I lived near Rochester where I had worked my entire life. At that time, if I had a matter that needed corrective action, I felt comfortable reaching out to the elected representatives of that area. That was what they had been elected to do – assist people. If they were unable to help me, they would come out and inform me of that. Otherwise, it did not matter who I was, because they knew what was possible to accomplish in their position and they seemed to care.

My dealing with elected government in Akwesasne seems to have a different ring to it. What I have seen is that people are elected to well-paid positions, they get comfortable with a three-year term and they then avoid addressing the problems that we all have to deal with in Akwesasne as Mohawk people. After all of that, they often ask us to re-elect them to these same positions.

Franklin County says that Akwesasne is part of it. I know better than to believe that. Yet, when that county sends me a “use fee” tax bill, I know that I need to respond to that. This “use fee” is a tax for citizens living in Franklin County. We live in Akwesasne.

This “use fee” is a surcharge placed on the renewal of auto registrations. So in other words, we have to pay taxes to Franklin County to drive on our own land. Our Onkwehon:we people should not be blindsided by these taxes or fees, because just not paying them does not get us out of the presumption that we have to pay them. Our people never sought to be placed in Franklin County. The United States formed around us, we never had to move here, but this is where we ended up staying.

As a people we have tax exemption. I just have not seen the strong defense of this tax exemption by the elected Akwesasne representatives. The use of the tax free number “663323” on the back of the tribal ID cards is the one way that tribal membership gives me something back. I even heard that the Tribe has a different tax-free number that it is using now. Why is that the case if it is true? Where does that leave the tribal members if so? Who is sticking up for me on this issue if they abandoned using it?

The elected tribal officials need to start to pay more attention to the health, welfare and education of the Akwesasne residents. The healthcare services here should all be Indian Health Services (IHS) paid by the US government, instead of anything related to Franklin County, such as the clinic service. The clinic makes me feel like I am a criminal in going to Franklin County for assistance. We are double dipping in the tax dollar funding by going to Franklin County, is the way that I feel it is taking place.

Our Mohawk ironworkers have to work in all kinds of weather, on dangerous jobs, and yet I know that there are people working in some tribal departments that make more than these brave workers. But these office workers are unable to keep the New York State government from infringing upon Akwesasne.

The $20 “use fee” that I brought to the attention of the tribal government was lightly handled. The tribal clerk wrote me a letter based on the request of the tribal council and the tribal attorney. When I went to use the letter at the county Department of Motor Vehicle office to address the “use fee” there was no back-up to what was only the first step to take here. I was left on my own to deal with it.

As a tribal member, I am not receiving any tribal pay, so it should not be up to me to address this issue by myself and to instruct the tribal council on how to achieve the success of the required actions.

I have realized how ignorant that I may have been in going to tribal council for any support for my own problems to be solved. The last time was fruitless. The “use fee” is a different matter because it involves everyone living here. I objected to paying the fee because once we start to pay these fees, Franklin County will always use those who pay against those who do not.

I live on a reservation because that is where my parents lived. I originally started to write a letter indicating my own observation of some of the great accomplishments that our tribal council members were doing. I could not finish that one.

Peace Be with Everyone,

Agnes Terrance

 

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