Caretaker Council officially recognized
The Federal Court has granted a motion for injunctive relief designating the incumbent Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) chiefs as a caretaker Council with a limited, administrative mandate.
The ruling, issued on Thursday and obtained by The Eastern Door around presstime, clarifies the status of Amy Beauvais, John Canatonquin, Denise David, Brant Etienne, and Serge Otsi Simon.
The outgoing Council chiefs took the position in the wake of the surprise cancellation of the August 2 election that there has to be a government, while some other voices in the community dismissed them as no longer in office. MCK staff had been reluctant to reinstate chiefs’ access to Council resources given the uncertainty.
“I’m very happy,” said Etienne of the ruling. “We’ll get back to work for Kanesatake.”
This status will empower the five MCK chiefs to once again access Council resources, such as their offices and email addresses, while also enabling the provision of services and the functioning of Council as needed while the application for judicial review is adjudicated on an expedited basis.
Judicial review will clarify the status of Kanesatake’s suspended election, with justice Phuong T.V. Ngo noting the applicant’s argument that a judicial review will ensure the legitimacy of the election process and the Council it elects.
This is a developing story.
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
