Tioweró:ton a source of tension

While the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake seeks community input for policies governing Tioweró:ton, some members of the caretaker council have expressed their opposition to Kahnawake’s approach to governance of the territory.

The disagreements stem from differing views between Kanesatake’s and Kahnawake’s leadership on how Tioweró:ton should be used and managed, as well as clashing opinions on the rights and obligations of each community over the land, which Kahnawake and Kanesatake share.

Kahnawake’s Council has been conducting consultations to gather community input on the needs of community members regarding Tioweró:ton, including updating eligibility requirements for building on the land, and possible infrastructure development on the territory, said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake chief David Diabo, lead portfolio chief for lands and territories.

But while the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake seeks feedback on the policy for Tioweró:ton, the two communities disagree about the ownership of Tioweró:ton and the territory’s land management funding.

Caretaker Mohawk Council of Kanesatake council member Serge Otsi Simon said the territory is split half and half between Kanesatake and Kahnawake, contradicting the Kahnawake position, that the territory is two-thirds Kahnawake’s.

Also, Kahnawake has sent bills to Kanesatake over maintenance of the land without first consulting Kanesatake over what maintenance will be done, said Simon.

He has not and does not intend to foot the bill.

“They send us this bill. There’s no invoice of any kind. There’s no detailed description of what it’s for,” said Simon.

“God knows what else, everything else, they decided to take on that expense, and then impose it on us. (They said) ‘We decided it was good for us to do this, and you should abide by the same thing.’ But like hell I will,” said Simon.

Diabo said Kahnawake has been maintaining the land for decades and finds it fair to request that Kanesatake’s Council pay a land management fee.

“The roads have to be plowed. They have to be maintained in the summertime. They have to be maintained after the spring thaw, when the water runs down the road. Roads get really rough. That has to be maintained. That all costs money to bring equipment up there, manpower, fuel, all operations and maintenance, cutting new roads, the overall ongoing administration and operation,” said Diabo.

Diabo said if Kanesatake wants to split the territory differently, they would have to pay the bill first. According to him, the land designated for private development is divided into one-third for Kanesatake and two-thirds for Kahnawake.

“If they want to talk about the hard numbers, who has what, who owes what, they’re welcome to come to the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, and we’ll talk about it,” said Diabo.

Kanesatake caretaker council member Brant Etienne said he disagrees that giving a majority of the portion of land to Kahnawake is equitable.

“When you have a wealthier member, and in an organization, if they can simply outspend you, then that gives them the prejudiced right. Is that really equitable?” said Etienne.

With respect to the current consultations in Kahnawake, Kanehsata’kehró:non and the caretaker council can attend the sessions, said Diabo. He refused to say how much Kanesatake owed Kahnawake.

However, Etienne and Diabo disagree on how much input was requested by the caretaker council of Kanesatake.

“Kahnawake hasn’t reached out to us,” said Etienne, when asked if Kahnawake spoke with Kanesatake about the consultation process for policies in Tioweró:ton.

But Diabo said he did reach out to Etienne.

“I did speak with Brant Etienne some time ago, and I let him know that when stuff comes up that I’ll send it directly to him, and he can disperse the information as he pleases to whomever he pleases. So I did mention to him that the community consultation has been happening,” said Diabo.

The first session of the community consultation began in February 2026, and the last session is on March 19.

Naomi Denis, a community member who has visited Tioweró:ton, said the clashes between Kanesatake and Kahnawake are disheartening.

“The one thing that I find interesting is how Kanesatake and Kahnawake have always had each other’s back and worked together, especially during ‘90, and I feel like over the years, they’ve kind of just grown apart,” said Denis.

“A lot of us, we still get along with each other. We have family or friends there,” she said.

“It’s just sad that we’re not together on topics like Tioweró:ton.”

However, Simon and Etienne said since they are currently under a limited mandate as the caretaker council, they will not be addressing their disagreements with Kahnawake’s Council.

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Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter