Commission to consider grand chief’s standing

The newly formed Ethics Commission, tasked with arbitrating certain conflicts arising from the Custom Electoral Code, will meet this month to consider whether Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) grand chief Victor Bonspille and chief Valerie Bonspille have vacated their seats.

This is according to MCK chief Brant Etienne, who said the session will be held on March 17 in response to an appeal launched by the Bonspilles in 2023 after the Council majority enacted disciplinary measures against them.

Etienne said that, while it is now late in the term, with elections due this summer, it is still important to clarify the status of the grand chief.

“Part of it is we still do have a mandate, and the fact Victor and Valerie are still representing themselves unjustly as sitting members of the MCK still causes issues,” said Etienne. “It still causes issues in discussions with partners at the federal and provincial level, it causes problems when it comes to contracts, it’s put a hold on a lot of things.”

A band council resolution passed by the Council majority in spring 2023 declared that both Bonspilles had been removed from their portfolios and that grand chief Bonspille had been removed as MCK spokesperson.

Subsequent actions by the band council have also sought to cast doubt on the grand chief’s validity, such as in October 2023 when they demanded he step down after it was revealed Victor had asked the federal government to put the community into third-party financial management.

“It’s a ridiculous request and it’s not going to happen,” said Victor in an interview at the time with The Eastern Door.

The grand chief has also dismissed the legitimacy of the majority of Council, claiming they were removed following community meeting votes, not long after they called for his own resignation.

Bonspille and chief Valerie Bonspille did not respond to requests for comment for this article. However, the “Ethic Committee” is among the agenda items for a public meeting grand chief Bonspille is holding on March 11 at the Ratihén:te High School gym.

While the Ethics Commission was only put together late last year, the entity is a creature of the 2015 Kanesatake Custom Electoral Code, which details local election processes and some aspects of governance.

According to the electoral code, the MCK may establish an Ethics Commission, which in turn can hear appeals if a member of Council is removed because they have been convicted of a crime, missed three Council or community meetings without a valid reason, or “engages in, during their term, any wrongful conduct that affects, interrupts, or

interferes with the performance of their duties.”

According to Etienne, the Bonspilles have not submitted supporting documents for their appeal, although they now have the opportunity to respond to the Council majority’s submission, a letter that details spotty attendance as while as several notable incidents the Council majority characterize as disruptive to Council business.

“If we just take the all-stars of what they’ve done, when Victor conspired to have the band office chained in 2023, did that hinder Council’s ability to function? Our statement is yes it did, for obvious reasons,” said Etienne.

The request for third-party management and an altercation in which MCK chief Denise David was injured by chief Valerie Bonspille are also included in the Council submission, according to Etienne.

The Bonspilles, as has been frequently documented in The Eastern Door, have scarcely attended Council meetings this term. However, grand chief Bonspille has claimed only meetings he sanctions are legitimate.

While grand chief Bonspille initially denied involvement in the chaining of the Council office, which was shuttered for over a week in late 2023, security tape showed that he was actively involved.

In the event of a permanent vacancy of grand chief, the vice chief is elevated to that position. However, according to the electoral code, the vice chief is chosen by the grand chief at the beginning of the term.

This did not happen; rather, the Council majority considers Etienne to be acting vice chief.

The Ethics Commission was assembled by First Peoples Law and is made up of legal professionals from outside the community.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter