Kanatahkwèn:ke prepares for launch
Furniture has been moved into Kanatahkwèn:ke, in preparation for its upcoming soft opening. Courtesy Kimberly Cross
April marks Cultural Awareness Month, and the Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KOR) are planning to celebrate in style, as they kick off the month with their move into Kanatahkwèn:ke, Kahnawake’s brand-new cultural arts centre.
This week, inspectors confirmed that the building is ready for use, meaning that KOR can be the first to move in next Wednesday, said Kimberly Cross, a member of the Kanatahkwèn:ke Building Committee and tourism development officer at Kahnawake Tourism.
“I know all of their staff have been anxiously waiting for this approval so they can move, I know they’re really, really pumped for this new chapter, and to have the community come out and start using the space,” Cross said.
KOR will share the building with other community organizations, including Kahnawake Tourism, and Turtle Island Theatre, and the building will also feature a state-of-the-art temperature-controlled museum space to display parts of Kahnawake’s history safely.
Though the museum portion and the theatre aren’t yet ready, Cross said that KOR should be able to host some of its Cultural Awareness Month activities in the space.
“We really want to start here and have this be special for the Cultural Centre, it’s important to them, they’re moving in, and this is their home,” Cross said.
While the soft opening is set for April 1, a bigger community-wide grand opening will take place soon, with a date to be announced in the coming weeks, Cross said.
“We don’t want to rush, we want to have something grand and be able to invite everyone and have all the events planned within there,” Cross said.
The entire team is excited to welcome people into Kanatahkwèn:ke, Cross said.
“It feels a little bit surreal. As a committee, we’ve been working on this for so long, we’re in those final stages and now it’s go-time,” Cross said. “We’re really getting into the next step of moving in, prepping furniture, and hiring different staff to work in the building. It’s real. It’s here.”
She said she’s been particularly moved by the ongoing support of the community - especially throughout fundraising for the Capital Campaign, which has seen nearly $16 million raised to support the building.
Totals for the amount raised are expected to be made public in the next week, but Cross said that nearly the entire amount has been raised so far from community donations and support from external partners.
“It’s a very amazing feeling to know what we’ve accomplished, I think the whole committee shares that sentiment, we’re just happy that we’ve done it, and it’s a step forward,” she said.
There are already events planned for the new space, including a stand-up comedy show titled “New Building, who this?” with Jo Rice, Aaron Lawrence, and Hank Leblanc slated for Friday, April 24, in celebration of Cultural Awareness Month.
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“We’ve been working so hard, it’s super amazing that people are supporting us,” said Cross. “It’s heartwarming to know.”
