Kahnawake environment pioneer Eva Johnson retires today

01/14/2016

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK)  wishes to inform the community that Eva Johnson, long-time environmental activist and a founding member of the Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office, is retiring today after 25 years of employment with the MCK.

“On behalf of her Lands Unit family, I wish her a long and healthy retirement from a job that wasn’t just a job but, rather, a passion,” said Lands Unit Director Melanie Gilbert. “From her beginnings in 1987 as part of a group of women who closed contaminated dumpsites to the modern day environmental movement that is part of the fabric of Kahnawà:ke, we thank her for all of her hard work.”

She had been working as a consultant on environmental projects since stepping down from her full-time role as KEPO Coordinator in October of 2014. She has been working on a reduced schedule since then.

“I can’t say enough about the effect she has had on this community,” said Environment Portfolio Chief Clinton Phillips. “For many years ‘Eva Johnson’ and ‘environment’ were interchangeable – you never heard one without the other.  As she retires today, we hope she is able to enjoy more time with her family and many, many friends. All the best from Chief and Council and from me, personally.”

“She is a person who made a difference, and we should never forget that,” he concluded.