Council attends Iroquois Caucus

In meetings with federal ministers at the Iroquois Caucus in Ottawa this week, Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) caretaker council member Brant Etienne is urging the government to work with the council on security needs in Kanesatake.

On May 7, Etienne planned to meet with Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree along with other community leaders at the Iroquois Caucus.

Caretaker council member Brant Etienne, who attended the Iroquois Caucus conference, said the council is looking for confirmation from Anandasangaree to enter discussions on security matters with officials from both Kanesatake and Quebec.

“Public Safety really is the government department that has the mandate to deal with security issues across the country, and they’re the ones that have the funding envelope for all of this,” said Etienne.

Quebec has informed the caretaker council they require the federal government to intervene in discussions about managing security in Kanesatake, said Etienne.

“We’ve already heard from the province that unless the feds commit, there’s not much point in talking,” said Etienne.

“From discussions with various levels, there is a recognition that something has to be done. It’s just that it has to come from the top brass.”

This year, the Kanesatake Perimeter Security (KPS) came close to losing all their funding after attempts to renew funding did not pan out.

The MCK allocated some internal funding for the KPS that will last the next few months, and the council has applied for more funding that is expected to be approved, said Etienne.

But the council wishes to discuss security beyond the KPS and address the larger issue of security in Kanesatake, said Etienne.

“Our problems do need to be addressed in a larger scope than is capable of being addressed by just KPS,” said Etienne.

On May 8, Etienne expects to meet with minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty. At the meeting, Etienne plans to discuss funding for security and advocacy from the department.

“Having more departments advocate on our behalf for our needs is very important,” said Etienne.

The Iroquois caucus managed to secure meetings with various federal ministers for the conference. The MCK also met with minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Rebecca Alty earlier this week.

Many communities can participate in the meetings with ministers, which last about an hour, said Etienne.

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Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter