MCK Open Letter to Prime Minister regarding Indian Act S-3 amendments

11/14/2018

As stated in a press release issued yesterday, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) has taken a stance against the ‘Collaborative Process,’ the second phase of Consultations on the Bill S-3 amendments to the Indian Act – legislation that will have devastating consequences for Kahnawà:ke and all First Nations across Turtle Island.

As stated yesterday, a(MCED) rejecting the S-3 ‘Collaborative Process’ was passed unanimously at the duly-convened Council meeting held on Monday, 13, Kentenhkó:wa/November. The MCED , along with accompanying open letter , has be sent to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Crown Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett, reiterating the MCK’s disapproval with the poor to non-existent level of discussion with First Nations on the potential impacts these amendments will have on our communities.

“As if the S-3 amendments were not enough, the MCK is appalled that despite our strong opposition to S-3, the Federal Government would adopt an even bolder attack on Indigenous nationhood through launching the Collaborative Process, an attempt to engage First Nations in extending well past registration and into the reaches of membership and citizenship,” the letter states. “I feel compelled to remind you that Indigenous people exclusively hold the inherent right to govern membership and citizenship matters. No nation, including Canada, is entitled to impose criteria for belonging to another nation.”

“I strongly encourage the Federal Government to rethink its strategy and cease moving forward with the Collaborative Process,” the letter concludes.

The letter is signed by Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton on behalf of the MCK.

Kahnawà:ke maintains the position that only the community can determine who is a Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke and only the Mohawk Nation can determine who are its Citizens.