New beginnings

Today’s the day: The Eastern Door’s 30th Annual Spring Cleanup. It sneaks up on us every year, and 2026 is no different.

We hope you’ll join us in rolling up our sleeves, throwing on a pair of gloves, and picking up some of the garbage that has been been encased in ice and snow lo these many months.

We’re sure our collaborators, the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) and Waste Management, would agree that the cleanup always makes for a memorable morning, whether for the oddities that turn up or just a plain ol’ show of Kahnawake community spirit, which is always a marvel.

If you read our editorials each week, you’ll know the environment is a frequent topic, something we think about a lot. Usually we focus on the role of policy, the politicians who refuse to do what’s needed, the economic order that subordinates humanity’s long-term wellbeing to short-term gains.

The list goes on - there are many ways in which the shortsighted and greedy colonial system is incompatible with seven-generations thinking. It’s frustrating, especially when the government ignores the duty to consult, a process that might teach them a thing or two about values.

For that reason, we don’t always talk much about what we can do at the micro level.

These gestures might sometimes seem futile in the face of such a big, hard-to-move problem as global climate change - politicians and corporations love to boost these little actions, in fact, in a bid to transfer responsibility for societal issues onto the humble individual.

It’s like the “please recycle” message on a coffee cup that you just know will end up in landfill. Or bins at chain stores that make customers separate plastic, paper, and trash, only for it all to be hauled away to the same dump.

But the choices we make matter. The actions we take matter, even if the world isn’t moving as it should.

That’s one reflection that is on our minds this week, with Earth Day having taken place Wednesday, and it’s the same one that motivates us to keep hosting the Spring Cleanup, year after year.

With all the climate doom and gloom, it can feel pointless to bend down and pick up a Twix wrapper that someone dropped on the ground or even tossed out their car window. After all, the flow of garbage never seems to end.

By that logic, what’s the point of cleaning the house? It’ll just get dirty again.

Well, we all know that doesn’t work, and it’s the same when it comes to the environment we all share. Spring cleaning is a magical thing, whether at home or in the community.

Clean surroundings remind us to live cleanly. It’s a lot harder to throw a candy wrapper on the ground when it’s the only trash in sight.

But it’s not just that. The little actions we take orient our lives to reflect the values to which we aspire. When you pick up a piece of trash or reuse a container or compost your banana peel, that adds up, even if it’s not your fault that every banana you can find has a pointless plastic sticker on it.

These simple actions can snowball into a green lifestyle.

Most importantly, each little action teaches the little ones, who are always watching more closely than we think, to develop a value system that includes caring for Mother Earth, but which also reflects so much more.

Standing up for your rights and those of other groups? Putting the time into learning Kanien’kéha, or seed-keeping, or beading, or lacrosse? In some way, these pursuits, which contribute to the collective, help show the next generation that what we do on this Earth matters, that we all have a role to play in creating a better world.

Like a Zen monk who sees washing their bowl not as a chore but as an opportunity to practice mindfulness and intention, cleaning up and taking responsibility for the state of the community through small gestures can help cultivate a way of life that can make a positive difference.

Learning who we want to be and why is one of the central quests in all our lives, and the power of doing this as a community cannot be overstated, no matter what the country’s politicians are busying themselves with.

We must not forget the importance of policy, of standing up against the forces whose perverse priorities threaten us all. But who will be the leaders of tomorrow, who will take the baton of standing up to colonial governments or advocating for meaningful communal projects?

The chances are not small that they will be the ones whose little hands were picking a candy bar wrapper up off the side of the road alongside a parent or guardian who is not just picking up trash, but explaining why it matters.

Spring is probably the best symbol of renewal that everyone can understand. In this season of new beginnings, why not ask ourselves what simple ways we can express who we want to be and what world we want to live in?

So let’s all do our part.

The Spring Cleanup is headquartered at The Eastern Door’s offices on Old Cheateauguay Road. You’re invited to come on out this morning, Friday, April 24, from 7 a.m. to noon.

We’ll have garbage bags and gloves for you, and if you have items for special collection, like tires or batteries, bring them along with you for proper disposal on site.

Let’s all pitch in and help make the community shine!

Marcus Bankuti, Managing Editor

Steve Bonspiel, Editor/Publisher