Workshop held ahead of law-making consultation

The Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) hosted a webinar last night facilitated by First Peoples Law to give community members a chance to take in a governance presentation ahead of consultations on a proposed law-making process.

“It’s just a primer,” said MCK chief Brant Etienne, who noted it’s been a while since the draft lawmaking documentation was released to the community over the summer.

The majority of MCK chiefs intend to usher in the process before the end of the Council term in 2025.

“It’s just to get people thinking about it again, and if there were any questions they had when the lawmaking documents were first put up, maybe they could have it answered there after listening to the presentation if it brings to mind something they want more information on,” he said.

A lawmaking process would depend on multiple legal mechanisms, including the Kanesatake Interim Land Base Governance Act and the Indian Act, and would enable the community to enact binding legislation on certain key issues, such as wildlife conservation and health and safety.

The announcement sparked a hostile response from MCK grand chief Victor Bonspille, who published a communique on the personal Facebook account of MCK chief Valerie Bonspille deriding the majority of Council for their efforts.

“As the grand chief of Kanesatake, I must be accountable to my People,” he wrote. “That being said, this online law-making workshop is just another form of their dictatorship and eagerness to keep the Kanesatake members and community under ‘their’ rule,” he wrote, referring to them multiple times as “ousted individuals.”

Bonspille has repeatedly said his opponents on Council were stripped of their positions at two meetings he held. These votes do not seem to be supported by the Kanesatake Custom Electoral Code that governs elections and are not recognized by any governmental department.

In his communique, Bonspille said he agrees with the need to create community laws, but according to what he characterizes as custom rather than external legislation such as the Indian Act.

Etienne dismissed Bonspille’s communique on the subject.

“It’s just more of the same old, same old, really, from him,” said Etienne, naming a number of controversies throughout the term, including the chaining of the band council, which Bonspille was present for, and Bonspille’s attempt to have Kanesatake put into third-party management.

“We can use the governance code to pass laws in certain jurisdictions, and if it’s for the benefit of Kanesatake, we can use the Indian Act to pass certain laws if it would benefit Kanesatake, but they’re not all one in the same. They’re just tools in our tool belt,” he said. “The whole point is to make things better for Kanesatake. If he thinks just sitting back and smearing instead of showing up to work every day and trying to work with us is the way a grand chief should act, the community will decide again.”

Bonspille did not reply to a request for comment.

Last night’s webinar was announced with only one day's notice, but it was slated to be recorded and made available to community members, who can email their request to [email protected].

The first community meetings on a law-making process are expected to be held before the new year, according to Etienne.

[email protected]