Kanesatake grand chief is wrong 

Mohawk Council of Kanesatake grand chief Victor Bonspille did a good job in a so-called press release this week, signed by only him (there’s a pattern here), by making himself look vindictive, taking it to a personal level.

In a classic non-denial denial – a clear effort to try and smear someone’s reputation without actually providing facts or clarifying a concerning position for Kanesatake – Bonspille shot himself in the foot by, you guessed it, attacking the media, and two journalists personally, instead of addressing what that media reported.

Does that also sound familiar?

Where do we start with a self-serving press release that serves no real purpose but to get people after an independent, free press that holds leadership accountable?

Well, here are the known facts as they appeared in our reporting:

(1) Bonspille’s mother, who died in 2014, is the registered part owner of land implicated by the courts in illegal dumping, and on which contaminated soil was found by government inspectors. This title would have most likely been inherited by her children.

(2) There is now a cannabis store, open for less than a year, where contaminated soil was deposited on that lot.

(3) Bonspille appeared in court to try and use his position as grand chief to stop the injunction against environmentally damaging illegal dumping. He did not disclose his personal connection to one of the lots in question.

He sought to undermine the injunction both by questioning the legitimacy of the majority of Council chiefs, who did not take a position against the injunction, and by – as grand chief – stating that he was contesting Quebec’s injunction application, attributing this to jurisdiction, echoing arguments of defence lawyers.

(4) Our reporter asked Bonspille whether he owned the land. He could have said yes, no, or anything in between, but instead he declined to comment. Our reporter asked him what his goals were in contesting the injunction. He declined to comment again.

Now, more than two weeks later, he wants to “set the record straight,” but instead he goes on the attack and evades the issues we exposed, which we think is quite telling.

So, with that out of the way, let’s dive right in.

Bonspille conflates the very serious and real dumping of garbage and other hazardous materials that has been going on in Kanesatake with the accusations that are before the courts - an order to halt the dumping by putting the words illegal dumping in quotations - as if this isn’t the biggest story the community has faced in the last decade or more.

Putting “illegal dumping” in quotation marks in his press release makes as much sense as putting “I” in quotations when referring to himself, which he also did.

That’s a basic lack of understanding in how to write properly, yet his sham of a press release, which attacks The Eastern Door and targets Steve Bonspiel and Marcus Bankuti by name, goes on to explain, in Bonspille’s obviously limited view, what journalism is. 

What journalism is, Victor, is getting to the bottom of an issue. We unfortunately had to use your mom’s name – which you call “shameful journalism” – because it appears in court documents. That’s how it works. You should know that, as a self-proclaimed journalism expert. Nobody ever updated the land title, even 10 years later, and as a result, her name is part of the story, and that’s not our fault.

Further, in a press release written in the first person, you quoted yourself. That just looks ridiculous. That’s Journalism 101.

But also, in terms of clarifying the “mis-information” (as you put it), you went on to do the exact opposite and failed to clarify your position, role, and potential benefit from the situation before the courts, which nearly everyone you claim to represent agrees is terrible.

Why is that? You can’t say you will clarify misinformation (the correct way to spell it) and then clarify nothing.

The press release goes on to argue jurisdiction in the dumping issue – which we are certainly past now. The only people who care about Quebec coming in to help with this horrific situation are the ones who want it to continue. The community needs outside help to stop this now. No one is equipped, especially the MCK, to stop it.

Ironically, you argue the same thing, two paragraphs after complaining that Quebec should stay out of it, when you somehow claim credit for making Quebec act.

You believe the names on that list are falsely accused, and you have that right to raise the question, but you don’t have the right to bring your fight with the other chiefs into the courtroom to disrupt proceedings meant to get to the bottom of the dumping fiasco and halt it for the time being.

That’s not the move of a grand chief, but an act of someone who is more concerned about their ego than the people.

Why did you fail to disclose the personal connection you had to the dumping allegations, which was unknown to the court?

The goal of the hearing wasn’t to determine guilt or innocence, but to primarily halt the dumpings that are killing our lands and poisoning our people. And you tried to stop it.

You cry we didn’t give you a chance to speak but we are calling bullshit on that. Every week Marcus Bankuti does his job and asks you for comment, and every week, little by little, you shut him out for doing nothing more than seeking and reporting the truth.

This includes not answering his messages or phone calls, or, worse, blocking his number, and, when he finally reaches you from a number you don’t recognize, saying you have “no comment.”

This is also not the role of a grand chief, to limit what the people know through the press, and you’re failing, as a supposed expert on journalism, to answer basic questions and to do your job for the people, not just the ones in the meetings you call.

It’s important to note The Eastern Door doesn’t have any skin in the game in terms of the players. We aren’t on team Otsi and the other chiefs, and we’re not, obviously, on Victor’s team. We’re on the side of truth and solid journalism, and we’re firmly on the side of the community at large and its right to know what, exactly, is going on. 

This issue is bigger than all of us and to pick sides at this time, or not to point out the failings of anyone in power when it comes to dumping, is irresponsible. Former grand chief Serge Otsi Simon also did nothing when it came to stopping the dumping issue, and everyone who failed to get help is part of the reason it is where it is now.

Let’s let this paragraph from Bonspille’s press release sink in for a minute, and then we will tell you the key points of why this is so dangerous – and wrong.

“Secondly, I find it appalling that the Eastern Door (Marcus Bankuti and Steve Bonspiel) continue to disrespectfully mention my deceased Mother’s good name. A shameful means of journalism that is solely based on the fact that “I” am the Grand Chief of Kanesatake. Respectful journalism is attainable when you take into account all the facts and truths. The Eastern Door has only accomplished hurtful propaganda, which has caused more division within my Community of Kanesatake,” the press release reads.

We said it before and will say it again, we loved Myrtle Bonspille and knew her personally. We don’t believe she was responsible for allowing any dumping. There are most likely other people who don’t have anything to do with dumping whose names have been brought out in the courts, and we wish more of these companies who brought the illegal and hazardous materials to Kanesatake were more heavily implicated - and we sincerely hope the people who need to be, will be vindicated.

But we have to bring her name into the article because it’s part of what is happening in court. If they deem an inspector was wrong to invoke her name in an affidavit, or if they deem her name was used but others benefitted from it, then the people have a right to know.

Either way, we can’t knowingly and willingly leave her name out because it is currently part of a legal process. We aren’t disrespecting her by reporting what is being said about her land. We’re reporting on it knowing that people will be upset. And that’s our job.

That’s good journalism, something Victor wouldn’t have a clue about.

In terms of the press release saying, “respectful journalism is attainable when you take into account all the facts and truths,” well we do, Vic, but it’s hard to do when you won’t even take five minutes of your time as grand chief to answer us.

This isn’t your show and you’ll only be in that seat for a relatively short time, but Kanesatake will pay for your actions and inaction long after you’re gone.

Respectful journalism is what we’re doing – serving the people as a whole regardless of whether they like us or not or agree with us or not – and that’s something your ego still has a problem with, meaning with petty press releases like this, you’ll never be a good leader.

And when does the truth of all this come out? When will we see what grand chief Victor Bonspille gets out of this charade to try and stop an injunction on dumping in Kanesatake? What’s the deeper truth here?

It will all come out eventually, and it certainly won’t be pretty.

In the ending paragraph, you try to take credit for standing up to dumping.

“Lastly, on November 23, 2023, as the Grand Chief of Kanesatake, I stood in front of the Standing Committee (Parliament) in Ottawa, and argued the Federal Government is ignoring the illegal dumping within Kanesatake, and continues to ignore the illegal dumping issue,” according to Bonspille’s press release.

“The amount of pressure by concerned Kanesatakero:non (sic), the media, and I, have put on the Quebec and Federal Government, is the ONLY REASON why this illegal dumping on this issue is on the table.” 

Which is it, Vic, the media, your heroics, or concerned community members who have had the most impact in getting this out there to be exposed?

You used your appearance at that standing committee hearing – which, by the way, was not focused on the current wave of dumping – to try to get a veto as grand chief of Kanesatake, so you weren’t there for altruistic reasons.

In fact, here’s a quote from you at that standing committee, talking about your desire to unilaterally accept a transfer of the toxic G&R land to the MCK, which you argued was necessary for a cleanup:

“That is why I asked for a veto power from the federal government to accept that out of respect, but that respect has gone out the window right now. I haven’t even gotten a response to my request. And now our community is wondering why this is not happening,” you said.

You showed up because it was also part of your power struggle, and you used your public objection to dumping as the real reason, but what leader WOULDN’T object to their land being destroyed? That’s the very least you could do, and it came many years too late. And, again, there’s plenty of evidence it was to a self-serving end.

You’re right in saying the media, which includes The Eastern Door, has a huge role to play in this. We have been running stories for many years on dumping, long before you were grand chief. 

You’re right in saying the people have stood up, the anonymous group that popped up a couple of years ago to say enough was enough. People are listening to them and reading our reporting.

But for you to say you had a big role and then turn around and try to disrupt a process aimed to halt the same dumping, is disingenuous, to say the least.

If you played a role at all, it was as a chief who brought the fight with the other chiefs into every meeting, a chief who couldn’t take direction from the community to address the most important issues, a chief who, quite frankly, cares more about himself and holding power than he does about actually doing the hard work to make Kanesatake a better place.

A chief who is creating greater division in Kanesatake. You need to own that.

Your so-called press release is a crude and desperate tactic to try and confuse the people into believing you, when you have, in fact, done so little to lead the fight and combat the illegal dumping, that no one believes or has any faith in you or your “leadership.”

Steve Bonspiel 

The Eastern Door