Council launches improved reporting

As of this month, community members are now able to read monthly reports produced by each of the Council chiefs. 

It’s all part of an effort to promote transparency and accountability from the Council table, according to the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake’s (MCK) Public Relations Unit.

The reports list out all the meetings attended by them each month, the number of wellness and vacation days used, as well as any updates they want to share with the community. That includes updates related to the various portfolios each holds, as well as updates on any recent meetings they had with government officials. 

MCK grand chief Cody Diabo said the idea spurred from a community member that suggested it at the Meet the Candidates night during the election. 

“All the candidates stepped up, and we said that, yeah, we would like to do something of this nature,” he said. “It’s just something to complement what's already there.”

The MCK already uses various means to get updates out to the community, he added. That includes what’s shared through their social media pages, and Council meeting agendas and communiques posted on their website weekly, he said. The Council’s public relations team also produces the KTV videos frequently shared through YouTube and Facebook. 

“We thought it would be a good idea to kind of bring a lot of that information into one place,” said Lisa Lahache of the Public Relations Unit. 

“There's a lot of different places to go for information, and maybe it's too many places,” she added. “For whatever reason, the information wasn't reaching everybody. So this is another tool for us to reach the community.”

The reports can be found on the MCK’s website under the Council of Chiefs tab. 

The Chiefs Uncut segments that get posted to their social media accounts have also now been rebranded. As of October, they’re now being referred to as the Ratitsénhaienhs Report.

Lahache said the decision was made in line with the MCK’s commitment since the election to begin referring to Council chiefs as ratitsénhaienhs. 

“We thought with the new Council, it was a perfect time to rebrand it,” she said. 

The Ratitsénhaienhs Reports are currently being published on a weekly basis. Two have been posted so far, including one from Diabo and another from Jeremiah Johnson. Iohahí:io Delisle is on the docket for the next episode. 

These videos serve a similar purpose as the monthly reports now being posted on their website.

“​The goal is still the same. For the ratitsénhaienhs, it's their opportunity to provide updates on their own files in their own words,” Lahache said.

She said she’s also now sharing political updates filmed and posted twice each month with KTV. Her first cameo was published and shared on their YouTube and Facebook pages in mid-September. 

“I’m just doing short video reports on what's been happening at the Council table, and what's on the horizon,” she told The Eastern Door.

Carly Diabo, who oversees community engagement, will also soon be publishing similar videos with KTV, Lahache shared. 

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