The year that was in Kanesatake

The suspension of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) elections was easily one of the biggest local stories of the year, but there was plenty more taking place in Kanesatake/Kanehsatake in 2025.

Every year, the events are different, but the pages of The Pines Reporter are full of stories about the people - the Kanehsata’kehró:non who make Kanesatake a special place. This year was certainly no exception.

Education

This year, Kanesatake was home to a new accredited media program, offering locals an opportunity to get involved in journalism. Many went on to work at Reviving Kanehsatake Radio (RKR) 101.7 FM, such as Sterling Mallette, the station’s first morning host.

It was another year of fighting for social change for local students, beginning with Pink Shirt Day, with Ratihén:te High School students designing and making shirts for the students and community members.

Kanesatake students showed off their scientific side this year, too. Projects that combined science and culture won the local science fair. The winners went on to Kuujjuaraapik/Whapmagoostui in March for the Quebec Indigenous Science Fair.

In spring, Debbie Rennie announced she’d be taking a step back as principal of Rotiwennakéhte Ionterihwaienhstáhkhwa elementary school after a lengthy career in education. This vacancy was filled in October, when the KEC announced it had hired Kahnawa’kehró:non Melissa McGregor to lead the school.

As the school year began, mixed-martial arts (MMA) legend George St-Pierre came to town with an anti-bullying message.

The day after Orange Shirt Day, the KEC hosted the second annual Interschool Walk for Truth and Reconciliation. It was even bigger than last year’s edition, with as many as 400 students from seven schools taking part.

In October, Rotiwennakéhte received a bizarre answering machine message from an Ontario resident. While schools were closed as a precaution, the Surete du Quebec decided nothing criminal had occurred.

Environment

The women’s group to protect the Pines sprang into action again this year after noticing encroachment from Big Chiefs, once again bringing media attention to the destruction of the Pines by cannabis stores built on community land.

The province continued its investigation into dumping this year, resulting in charges for some accused of illegal work on the shoreline, including allegedly putting in contaminated soils.

A total of 13 individuals and companies were cited under the Fisheries Act, with 10, many of them the same, cited under the province’s Environmental Quality Act.

One of the defendants, Timmy Etienne, spoke out in the pages of The Eastern Doorin October, saying he’s not guilty and casting the issue as one of jurisdiction.

Sports and Rec

Local lacrosse phenom Ava Weriasanoron Gabriel had another year of accolades.

First, she was selected to be immortalized in the North American Indigenous Athletics Hall of Fame (NAIAHF) alongside her Haudenosaunee Nationals World Lacrosse Box Championships team.

Gabriel also made history by taking to the floor with the Kahnawake Hunters Junior C team, making her the first female non-goalie to ever play in the league. She scored the league’s first goal by a woman, winning offensive player of the game.

She wasn’t the only Kanehsata’kehró:non on the squad. Logan Gabriel, her brother, was an offensive powerhouse for the Hunters, and Rahsontahawe Gabriel also played for the team.

Meanwhile, the Junior B Hunters went on to win the league championship, with Owen Rice a big part of the success, earning him a local celebration.

The Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) Winter Carnival brought some warmth to an icy winter, with ball hockey, a sleigh ride, tubing, and other activities on offer.

Tewehshon Nelson earned glory in ringette as the goaltender for the Blainville Cavaliers Benjamin A team, earning gold in the Montreal North Ringette Tournament, all while putting in time as spare for a Junior AA squad, even joining the team for Nationals. She also won gold with the U14AA New Snipers in the Défi Ringuette Championships in Ste. Julie.

In March, U11 and U13 players from the Kanehsatake Warriors minor lacrosse program scrimmaged at halftime at an Ottawa Black Bears NLL game.

Students from Kanesatake visited Kahnawake in April to play at the first ever Krissy Goodleaf Memorial Volleyball Championship, where they went undefeated 3-0 in the tournament before losing in the third set to Howard S. Billings.

Even Rotiwennakéhte Elementary School got a chance to be competitive this year, with that school taking part in the RSEQ. Unfortunately, neither local school played RSEQ ball this fall.

The Kanehsatake Warriors lacrosse association continued to grow, with teams putting on a show at the home opener in Two Mountains, followed by a Kanehsatake Warriors Jamboree, bringing together 16 teams from six communities.

The U11 Warriors went on to win another provincial championship in July.

At the FNEC Inter-School Games, students brought home 13-15 girls’ volleyball bronze; Sage Harrington, who played with that squad, also earned a fifth-place medal in shot put. Local students brought home another three medals in track-and-field events.

After missing last year’s Family Day event, the KHC brought back the popular June 20 festivities this year.

In August, Kanesatake was represented in both the Canada Games and Minor Box Nationals. Selena Beauvais coached a Team Quebec squad at the Canada Games, a roster that included Skanaie:’a Serena Ionescu, while Kyle Atkwiroton Canatonquin coached at the Minor Box Lacrosse Nationals, a tournament at which Ava Weriasanoron Gabriel competed.

Lax in the Pines was a big hit, with over 650 people showing up to the lacrosse box for the Masters-style tournament.

The Kanesatake Eagles put together a strong showing at the 2025 LAXNAI tournament in Utica, New York, winning four of five games.

Sam Nicholas won a coveted Bol D’Or with his CEGEP Division 1 football team. While he was unable to play due to injury, it was still an experience he won’t forget.

Language and Culture

In March, the opening of a new cohort was announced for the Ratiwennenhá:wi Kanien’kéha language immersion program at the Tsi Ronterihwanónhnha ne Kanien’kéha Language and Cultural Center, giving the next group of learners a chance to take part in language revitalization in Kanesatake.

Kanesatake community members took part in this year’s Kahnawake powwow, with father and daughter duo Sage and Al Harrington both dancing, wearing regalia made by Tess Lalonde.

Kanesatake’s own powwow took place at the end of August, bringing together locals and others for a celebration of culture.

At the end of September, Kanesatake had another successful Traditional Tattoo Gathering, the fourth annual. The three-day event brought together artists, knowledge keepers, and others to engage in this important cultural tradition.

Crime & Security

Four locals were charged after a major police operation in March targeting illegal weapons and organized crime, part of an operation by the Surete du Quebec and Integrated Weapons Trafficking Team.

Arson, meanwhile, continued to plague Kanesatake this year. One lot in Oka Village continued to be burned repeatedly, terrorizing community members, until Oka cleared the land - without band council permission.

4/20 was a headache for the Kanehsata’kehró:non who aren’t profiting from cannabis stores, with hordes of outsiders descending on the community and treating it as their playground.

In June, the Two Mountains Police chased a car into Kanesatake territory, with the suspect crashing and fleeing on foot.

In August, yet another cannabis store was torched, this time Sweet Grass, owned by Normand Theoret. In December, he was rushed to hospital after being shot in his own home by an intruder, but he was soon reported to be in stable condition.

In October, a motorcyclist was struck in a hit-and-run, suffering serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

Emergency Response Unit

The Surete du Quebec (SQ) wrapped up a years-long investigation into the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) this spring, handing the file to the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions (DPCP), which studied it for months to make a determination about whether charges would be filed.

Late in the year, the Quebec prosecutor made it known that there would be no charges in the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) investigation, finally closing a chapter that had been the source of political strain for years following allegations of improper spending of pandemic funds.

Justice

In March, MCK lawyers headed to the Supreme Court for the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake v. Louis-Victor Sylvestre appeal. At stake was whether the debt collection window had reset when Sylvestre and others tried to seize unseizable property.

The Supreme Court decided against the MCK, it announced near the year’s end, leaving the community with around $2 million in debt for legal services from over two decades ago.

Lysane Cree was appointed as a Superior Court Judge in 2024, but in May she had her ceremonial seating, a moment of pride for the community.

Election

Everything about the election was controversial this year, even before it was suspended at the 11th hour.

In the spring, Council indicated it would aim to hold an election in summer, four years after the previous one, but while a term is four years, the code also requires an election to be held on the second Saturday of June.

This led to a push by some to demand that Council honour the June date, with Clifton Nicholas and Amanda Simon - who became a prominent candidate in the election - hosting a “pressure conference” in April.

In May, electoral officer Graeme Drew told The Eastern Door that he believed it was legitimate to abide by the four-year term, despite missing the June date. Online voting became another major issue, with the electoral officer expressing strong support for the option before backing down.

During the nomination period, prospective candidate Amanda Simon was notified she was not eligible to run due to money owed to the Mohawk Council; she denied there was any legitimate debt. Drew ended up deciding to permit her to run.

Advance voting took place in July, a week before the general election.

On August 1, The Eastern Door reported that three candidates were on the ballots conditionally because of possible criminal records. Meanwhile, grand chief candidate Victor Bonspille announced that he would hold an all-candidates forum, for which he received a warning.

Later that night, Drew dropped a bombshell: he had decided to cancel the August 2 polls and suspend the MCK elections.

What followed was chaos as the community struggled to understand who its leaders were, or if it had leadership at all. Drew insisted there could be no governance vacuum, but many in the community were unwilling to take his word for it, nor the word of the incumbent MCK chiefs.

Anger and skepticism abounded as Kanehsata’kehró:non met at the band council office that day, a Saturday, and argued over the situation. On Monday, the offices were breached, frightening staff.

ISC was reluctant to weigh in and sent mixed signals. The department said only Kanesatake could determine its leadership but would not say whose word it would accept, even as the community was deeply divided. At first, ISC suggested a band council resolution (BCR) would suffice but then, after one was passed, suggested it would recognize an offshoot attempt to hold a new election.

This movement gained steam, even selecting a likely electoral officer. With the incumbent council continuing to claim authority, the situation was deeply divided. The Federal Court agreed to hear the case.

A lawyer representing former grand chief Victor Bonspille and several other respondents did not make submissions in time for a hearing in October, but Amanda Simon’s lawyer did participate, serving as the only foil to the MCK.

In the end, the judge decided to recognize a “caretaker Council,” tasked strictly with administrative management of Kanesatake until the larger issues can be settled and an election can finally take place.

Council

The Kanesatake Law-Making Process (KLMP) made it to the Council table in the early weeks of the year on its way to becoming the first MCK law. It was officially passed in February; the same weekend its passage was revealed in The Eastern Door, MCK chief (now caretaker chief) Brant Etienne’s windshield was smashed.

MCK chiefs hosted a virtual community meeting on the airwaves of Reviving Kanehsatake Radio 101.7 FM in a bid to clarify what they deemed misinformation about the initiative. However, in the summer, when four proposed community laws were put to a vote under the KLMP, the effort was rejected.

In January, the MCK signed an agreement for $1.3 million in funding for children’s programming.

In March, then-grand chief Victor Bonspille and then-chief Valerie Bonspille had their Ethics Commission hearing, which they had requested but refused to participate in. When the decision arrived in March, they were ruled by the Ethics Commission to have vacated their jobs, a decision they said they did not accept.

The remaining Council responded by holding a press conference to galvanize the community and external governments to accept the ruling, legitimate according to the Custom Electoral Code, but this did not exactly work out as planned, with many in the community uncertain or angry, and external parties unwilling to get involved.

After a long period with no lands manager in Kanesatake following the abrupt departure of Amanda Simon from the post in 2024, Caroline Gélinas was hired to fill the position.

The MCK’s audited financial statements for 2023-2024 were several months late, and when they did arrive, they showed $16.7 million in deferred revenue - money the MCK received but didn’t spend - leading to a calculation of a $7.8 million debt. The Eastern Door also learned there were two dozen overdue reports required by ISC, putting hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding at risk.

The MCK sought input on a rammed earth housing project this spring, with a workshop held in the fall, in a bid to bring social housing to the community.

Within weeks of the suspension of the MCK elections, MCK staff announced there was no funding for septic tank services, which ISC said had been a temporary service; preliminary work was later conducted in hopes of resuming services.

In August, an anonymous letter circulated alleging that former land manager Amanda Simon - a major candidate in the MCK elections - had inappropriately used her office to acquire lands. She denied any wrongdoing but acknowledged she had facilitated a private auction in which she submitted the winning bid.

Tourism

Kanehsatà:ke Tourism started the year strong with a significant role in a major Montreal tourism conference in February.

In November, however, the community learned the Indigenous Winter Market at Oka Park, which has become a staple for Kanehsatake Tourism, not to mention local crafters and artisans, would not move forward this year due to staffing issues at the department.

Health

Robert Bonspiel worked to advance a Canadian Paramedic Monument for fallen paramedics, planned for Ottawa, as the only Indigenous board member for the foundation pursuing it.

Kanesatake saw a milestone in August with the first birth in the community for over half a century, thanks to the Tekontaterièn:tare Multigenerational Center for Women’s Wellness at the KHC farm.

Tekontaterièn:tare had its official launch in September, celebrating by welcoming community members to have a look at the space and the services it can offer.

In November, the KHC held its Annual General Assembly (AGA), sharing statistics and financial information from throughout the year with members, which showed a healthy picture of the health centre’s operations as its services expand. A board member was also re-elected at the event, leaving two vacancies.

In December, KHC executive director Teiawenhniseráhte Tomlinson joined the chorus of health administrators sounding the alarm about Bill 2, slated to overhaul the provincial healthcare system.

Arts

Ellen Katsi’tsakwas Gabriel’s book When the Pine Needles Fall continued to rack up honours, longlisted for the prestigious 2025 Canada Reads list and shortlisted for the Wilson Institute Book Prize and winning the Errol Sharpe Annual Booke Award, Indigenous History Book Prize, and Wilson Book Prize.

The Gathering Place had its first event in February: an art show showcasing the work of seven Dawson College students, including Kanehsata’kehró:non Shayla Etienne and Taio Gélinas, who took part in a program led in part by Kanehsata’kehró:non Dan David. The pair also showed off their work at Dawson.

Gélinas also showed off his skills as an actor this year, starring in a new season of Eaux Turbulentes on ICI Tou.tv.

Following the loss of Michel Mathieu, who had worked at RKR 101.7 FM as well as K1037 Radio in Kahnawake, RKR announced that its new tower would be named the Mike “The Bear” Mathieu Radio Tower.

Community members Karonhienhawe Nicholas and her teenagers Sage and Nation Harrington were featured in a book of creative works, Poetic Echoes From The Land: Poems for Truth and Reconciliation.

Bri Etienne strode in Runway of Rezilience in Toronto, donning fashion from designer Tisha Thompson, a skirt woven from traditional basketry materials.

Miscellaneous

In January, King Charles II Coronation Medals began being awarded to individuals making substantial contributions to their communities. Robert Bonspiel and Sonia Bonspille Boileau were among the first recipients in the area.

Kanehsata’kehró:non were roiled this year by Kanesatake addresses being named Oka on everything from driver’s licenses to Amazon orders. The apparent culprit was a list maintained by Canada Post, which signalled it was open to change. An apology was sent to the MCK by Canada Post over the matter, which expressed willingness to work with Council to resolve the issue.

Planting Day at Gardens of Hope brought around 40 people to the community to pitch in on getting the season started. At the end of the season, community members and others gathered for a Seeds of Hope roundtable to get at the heart of what agriculture means.

A wire fence was erected on a historic right of way for community members on Oka Golf Club, violating a longstanding agreement and upsetting Kanehsata’kehró:non.

This year marked the 35th anniversary of the Siege of Kanehsatake, leading community members to reflect on this history. A gathering at Place du Canada, led in part by Ellen Katsi’tsakwas Gabriel and Wanda Gabriel, advocated solidarity between peoples seeking justice. In Kanesatake, community members marched through the Pines and Oka Village.

Kanehsata’kehró:non Kane Montour was hurt - and outraged - when he was targeted by racism from a Costco employee in October, especially after his requests for a follow up went unanswered.

This year saw longtime mayor of Oka Pascal Quevillon unseated by Patrick Hardy, who vowed a more respectful relationship with Kanesatake.

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