Wahta Council Report March/Ennisko:wa 2014

Wahta Mohawk Council TABLE OF CONTENTS

Community Declaration 3 Council Governance 4 Administration and Financial Codes 5 Wahta Mohawks Land Claim Settlement 7 Reserve 8 Tobacco 10 Cranberry Growers 12 Iroquois Caucus 14 Sustainability Update – Peggy Lovelace 14 WERC Report 16 Legal Update 17

Wahta Mohawk Council Community Declaration

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 3 Council Governance

Council has been very active during the winter months, continuing the developmental work necessary to build the foundation for accountable and transparent governance in our community.

The Wahta Strategic Plan was developed over many months under the guidance of the Wahta and approved at a community meeting. The latest draft of the Wahta Community Sustainability Plan was recently presented by Peggy Lovelace for additional input from the community and the comprehensive document has been finalized. In conjunction with the community, the next steps will be to implement the Plan moving toward design and engineering of an affordable housing location(s), easier access mortgages, specialty designed seniors housing and working through the other economic development opportunities and items outlined in the Sustainability Plan. Council has over this last term purchased private lands as they became available along Muskoka Rd.#38 for this very purpose.

Council had been successful in obtaining funding from Indian and Northern Affairs for the Cranberry Marsh assessments as well as additional funding to further advance our work on governance by examining processes for developing community laws and/or by-laws. Council has been meeting with various policing authorities and are currently in discussions to explore the option of providing native policing on the territory.

For citizens involved in the Tobacco business, it is that time of year to get your tobacco quota applications into the administration office. Please be aware that the Government of is going to be reviewing the quota process. We will provide more information as it becomes available.

The winter of 2014 will be remembered for a very long time! We haven’t had this much snow and record breaking temperatures in many years.The Council appreciates the efforts of the maintenance staff in keeping the roads, driveways and walkways accessible and we thank the Wahta Mohawk people for their patience and understanding while that work is being co-ordinated and carried out.

We would like to remind all Wahta Mohawk citizens to make sure your mailing address is correct and updated with the administration office. Contact senior administrator, Sandra Monette with any of your address changes. This will assist in keeping the community as a whole informed and to ensure that you receive the monthly newsletters and special mailouts.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Yours in Unity, Shirley Hay Dan Stock Stuart Lane Bill Hay

Page 4 Wahta Mohawk Council Administration and Financial Codes

On Saturday, January 11, 2014, the Wahta Mohawk Council held a community meeting which provided an updated review of the Administration and Financial Management codes. A community vote was also conducted later in the day by a 3rd party to adopt both the Codes and the voting results were successful by an overwhelming majority response to their ratification. Administration Code

The initial drafting of the Administration Code came as a result of community input received during the Organizational Review back in 2010. A majority response from community members at that time was that they wanted to see more transparency, accountability, fairness and good governance from Chief and Council as well as the administration. This prompted the council to continue on with their governance structure in developing processes and policies with the community citizens to ensure that everyone has input, understanding and responsibility for the development and implementation of the code.

Several community workshops were held throughout 2011 facilitated by Lorraine George gathering input and discussions involving roles and responsibilities, relationships, communication, a code of conduct, conflict of interest, enforcement and compliance and a code of ethics.

The Administration Code provides accountability and transparency standards on the following areas: Open council meetings; Required community meetings; Roles and responsibilities; Conduct; Communication; Oath of Office; Code of Ethics; Appeals and Redress

The Administration Code also includes respect and sustainability elements including: Informed and valued members; Meeting guidelines and conduct requirements; Protocols and policy requirements; Short and long term planning requirements; Reporting requirements to the Wahta citizens.

The Administration Code provides the further development and implementation of various council and administration polices based on the code.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 5 Financial Management Code

Also as a result of the Organizational review process in 2010, several community workshops were held in 2011 and 2012 and a community working group was formed to continue work on developing the financial management code with Lorraine George. Several working group meetings were held throughout 2012.

The Financial Management Code provides accountability at all levels including Staff, Administration and the Council. It requires budgeting and audit process with compliance terms. It requires a community committee to oversee and ensure compliance. It defines enforcement and breach mechanisms. These codes cannot be changed without a community vote. Financial management policies were developed to implement the Code.

The application of the Code governs the receipt, management, expenditure, control and recording of the Wahta Mohawk funds and structure for Wahta Mohawks administration that manages the funds.

The Financial Management Code applies to all Wahta departments and agencies in receipt of Wahta Mohawk funds including all businesses, corporations and/or other entities owned/ controlled by the Wahta Mohawks.

The day-to-day implementation of the Code is governed by policies and procedures consistent with its’ nature and intent and are approved by Council and enforced as such. Management training was also provided and completed by staff.

A presentation of the final drafts of the Administration Code and Financial Management Code was extensively presented at a community meeting and were approved by Council motion and the final community ratification vote was held on January 11, 2014 at which time both codes were duly passed.

The Wahta Council appreciates the hard work, input and dedication of the community to assist in the development of these codes. The Codes are based on the foundation of the Community Vision which was developed by the People – key principles and values:

“Wahta Mohawks are of One Mind in preserving our inherent and treaty rights to sustain future generations by respecting the Creator, Iethinistenha Ohwen:tsia (Mother Earth), oneself others and our culture.”

Social Equity - Tsi Akwe:kon Sahtetionkwa:te (Everyone is Equal)

Culture - Tsi Niionkwarihoten (Our Ways)

Page 6 Wahta Mohawk Council Environment - Tsi A:iatewahnonhsta:te Tsi Niahen:weh (To Save the Environment Forever)

Economy –Tewatatienawahs (Taking Care of Everyone)

Both Codes provide the stability, accountability and transparency essential for “governance excellence” and address the concerns expressed by the Wahta citizens throughout the governance development process. Copies of the codes can be obtained at the Administration office. Thank you. WAHTA Mohawks Land Claim Settlement

Over the last two years, Wahta Mohawk Council has with the assistance of legal counsel, reviewed the Wahta land claim settlement/agreement. Most of you will recall the original settlement was entered into back in 2002 between the former Council and Governments of the day.

After extensive review of the settlement/agreement, Wahta Mohawks Council and legal counsel, believe that we should have received far more compensation than what we received from the final negotiations. We believe Wahta should have had the original settlement lands returned to us or at least comparable lands which were acceptable to the Wahta Mohawks; or that we should have been compensated much higher than the approximate $9 million that Wahta Mohawks did receive through the settlement/ agreement. Council feels that we had lost prime economic land that could have provided opportunities for our People and additional loss of use and inability for timber and harvesting practices.

Council’s legal opinion is based on the following two main facts:

The land in question originally belonged to Wahta Mohawks and was taken without any legal right to do so. The Federal Government acknowledged this when it agreed the land was taken without a proper surrender by the Wahta Mohawks.

The Federal Government was obligated and should have either:

Returned the land or provided other land which was acceptable to Wahta, (which it did not do), or

Provided fair compensation for the taking of that land (which also did not happen)

There are many examples of land claim settlements where the claimants received much higher and fairer compensation compared to what Wahta Mohawks have received.

Also considering the current value of the land, it is possible that with all of our other losses, our compensation should have been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

As a further example, we found two other estimates for compensation: a claim for the loss of use of that land which one expert stated was worth approximately 75 million dollars; and claim to be paid back for all of the monies that the Crown obtained from that land ( ie when the Crown sold part of that land to cottagers and others and collected taxes for that land ) which our lawyers indicate could be valued in the many tens of million dollars also.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 7 The lawyers have also confirmed that the latter claim for the monies that the Crown obtained as a result of it’s use of the Wahta Mohawks land was not even asserted in the land claim.

Therefore, the Council strongly believes that the land claim agreement was simply unfair and unreasonable to the Wahta Mohawks and a more realistic compensated agreement must be pursued for our People and the generations to come.

Council believes that we must move forward in a timely fashion, despite the many challenges ahead. The Council wanted to keep the community abreast of what we are pursuing in the best interests of its citizens in regards to the land claim agreement and we welcome any questions or comments in this regard.

Indian River Reserve – Port Carling, ON

There’s a history here that ‘s not well known by many and going back in time further, by even fewer.

There may be some memories, in some very old oral tradition or perhaps books, that speak of this place in a sheltered bay on the Indian River in Port Carling, Ont.

This is a place where many Onkwehonwe (the people) came to gather, to hunt and fish from the abundance, and later to also do commerce, selling or trading finely handcrafted wares and clothing with well-to-do tourists from the big lodges that sprang up about the lakes in the mid to late 1800’s. Though at first inhabited and used by Anishnaabek peoples, the people from Gibson started using it along with their Ojibway brothers and sisters too not long after our ancestors came to Gibson in 1881.

Page 8 Wahta Mohawk Council The air and the charm of this place was known far and wide, from the ‘big business’ people of the U.S. to as far away as Europe. The friendly, busy inhabitants, created works of art for others to display or use in their homes or to wear proudly. It was, to the ones that experienced it, a purely magical place. When you were ‘there’ you knew you were somewhere special. This place, it must be stated, has up until this day been a place not only of gathering and making of fine things, but also a reminder of a time when people didn’t think of ‘ownership’ of land and it was always shared by those that wished to use it or needed an outlet for their craftings’. A legacy of a different way of thinking.

All things unfortunately change it seems, and so it has become for the ‘Indian Village’ in Port Carling.

Phoebe Roads, the last of a legacy of Onkwehonwe neha (Indian way) persons at the

‘Indian Village’ who has, for most of her life, kept up the tradition and skill of crafting from the abundance that nature provides, has decided to retire her business and buildings there. At ninety- seven, running her store from her home on the Wahta Territory is quite enough now and though full of misgivings and memories has decided this. Phoebe Roads had been going to the Indian Village with her grandmother, mother and others from Gibson, now Wahta, since she was a youngster around 1920, up until recently when her husband the late Frank Roads passed away.

Frank had many tasks to keep him busy including keeping a good part of Wahta’s side of the land in good appearance. He also pounded ash logs to make splints for the women to make baskets, made maple syrup in the spring and fished almost every day to feed everybody in their camp including their visitors. Some might remember Frank, putting along in his boat with a pipe-full of Captain Black, towing a couple nice lake trout or bass. He also made baskets, small bich-bark canoes, any number of other saleable, clever, things and grew a garden there.

Phoebe learned from a very young age, from her mother and grandmother, how to make things as most of the people knew how to do then. Beautiful baskets out of quills and birch-bark, black-ash splints and sweetgrass. Beautiful moccasins, clothing and accessories, all beautifully beaded and tailored to the individual. Phoebe has been recognized far and wide for her skills by movie stars to even the vice president of the U.S., George Bush senior.

With the changes coming locally and around the world it’s important to step back for a moment and reflect on whether going forward always means improvement, as perhaps some ways of thinking and doing things should never change.

We wish on behalf of the Wahta Mohawks to honour the legacy of Phoebe and Frank Roads for keeping up tradition for almost a century, carrying on knowledge and skills from time immemorial and for representing Onkwehonwe in a positive and memorable light. We are proud of you. Nia:wenhkowa.

With that all being said it will now be up to Rama’s community and our community (as this is uniquely shared land between Rama and Wahta) to decide where we go and what the future holds for the ‘Indian Village’ lands.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 9 Wahta Mohawks Position on Tobacco

Oienkwa’onwe or Indian Tobacco is still used in ceremonies, rituals and prayer as it has been for thousands of years. It is also used for a variety of medicinal purposes. It has powerful spiritual meaning and is used as a means of communicating with the spiritual world.

The Wahta Mohawks Council takes the position that trading in tobacco and tobacco products amongst Indigenous Peoples of the Americas is an activity which pre-dates the arrival of the Europeans. Its practice is based on an Indigenous Right, which is non-negotiable.

We recognize the reality is there is more than one kind of Tobacco: Oienkwa’onwe or Traditional Indian tobacco and Commercial Tobacco. We also recognize that Commercial tobacco falls within two (2) distinct categories: Canadian and Indigenous.

• Canadian Tobacco is raw tobacco or any tobacco product which is manufactured in or under the authority of the Canadian government through its permit system.

• Indigenous Tobacco is raw tobacco grown in an Indigenous Territory or any tobacco product produced or manufactured by an Indigenous person or company within an Indigenous Territory under the Authority of Indigenous Rights.

Regulating tobacco and tobacco products within Wahta territory falls under the jurisdiction of the Wahta Mohawks, as represented by their Council. It is the right and responsibility of each community to regulate the economic uses of tobacco.

We also recognize that any regulations do not include the use of Oienkwa’onwe or Traditional Indian Tobacco.

Our position is based on and supported by the following:

Tekeni Teiohate or Two Row Wampum

The Two Row Wampum is an expression of the agreement of mutual assistance and peaceful relations between the Haudenosaunee and the new comers to our country. It is based on the principles of our respective distinctness, sovereignty and independence. It affirms the principle of non-interference in each other’s affairs as well as not legislating over each other. It is the Grandfather Treaty upon which all subsequent Treaties are based.

Page 10 Wahta Mohawk Council United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)

Article 3 Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development.

Article 4 Indigenous peoples, in exercising their right to self-determination, have the right to autonomy or self- government in matters relating to their internal and local affairs, as well as ways and means for financing their autonomous functions.

Article 5 Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their right to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.

Article 20 1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political, economic and social systems or institutions, to be secure in the enjoyment of their own means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all their traditional and other economic activities.

Article 34 Indigenous peoples have the right to promote, develop and maintain their institutional structures and their distinctive customs, spirituality, traditions, procedures, practices and, in the cases where they exist, juridical systems or customs, in accordance with international human rights standards.

Article 36 1. Indigenous peoples, in particular those divided by international borders, have the right to maintain and develop contacts, relations and cooperation, including activities for spiritual, cultural, political, economic and social purposes, with their own members as well as other peoples across borders.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 11 Iroquois Cranberry Growers Update

Iroquois Cranberry Growers (ICG) recently completed another juicing process. During Kentenhko:wa\November, a meeting was held with the owner of Tropical Treets, the bottling company currently used by ICG, to explore new flavours for our Cranberry juice.

Their scientists made mixtures by using cordial and various flavours such as mint, ginger, pineapple and many others. Taste testing of different mixtures concluded that ginger and mint would be the new trial flavours for ICG cordial.

During that time we also visited the pressing facility Algoma and the owner indicated to us that he was considering expanding the plant and would be installing a fruit dryer. This lead to a discussion about ICG dried cranberries and the possibility of exploring either a joint venture with Algoma to produce dried (sweetened and unsweetened) Algoma pressing machine cranberries.

In addition to this, Algoma also has a small bottling facility, which will need to be explored further to ensure costs are kept down and plastic bottles that they currently use do not have adequate shelf life. More discussions with Algoma to find a working business model as well as a suitable bottle for our product are being pursued.

On Monday, Enniska\February 3rd, we visited the bottling plant in Mississauga to oversee the bottling process and more importantly, to ensure the proper mixing of the new flavours. Because the plant storage tanks could only hold about 15,000. litres, they bottled Juicing storage tanks pure juice first. On Tuesday, they began mixing the Cordial and we made sure the taste was as close as possible to the original. On Wednesday we began working with the plant representatives to begin mixing and taste testing the new flavours. Once we were satisfied, the Ginger mixture went into production. The mint had to soak overnight in order to get the most flavour from the plants. On Thursday we mixed and taste tested the mint cordial.

It is important to note that only natural ingredients were used for flavouring. We continue to hold true to the ICG preference for products with no artificial colours or flavours.

As a result, ICG now has five (5) juice products to choose from. Pure Juice, Cordial sweetened with sugar, Cordial sweetened with Apple juice, Mint Cordial and Ginger Cordial. Algoma pressing machine

Page 12 Wahta Mohawk Council We decided on a cordial sweetened with apple juice so that customers who prefer a product without sugar would have an alternative. This is consistent with promoting a line of healthy products.

Business Opportunities

Our discussions at both Algoma and Tropical Treets resulted in the possibility of additional business opportunities. Algoma is considering adding a fruit dryer to their plant. The owner of Tropical Treets has also expressed an interest in exploring various options

Bottle Labeling line for expanding our business relationship including a fruit dryer. A third opportunity previously reported was with Cantrina freezer Storage, where ICG berries are stored. They had proposed installing an evaporator which would steam off the Juicing storage tanks water from our juice and make juice concentrate for global export.

Council will continue to explore these opportunities and will keep you informed before making any firm decisions.

Sales

Sales at both the farm store and the 400 market have slowed during these winter months. Hours and personnel at the farm store have been adjusted. There is one employee and hours have been shortened to Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9-5.

In following with the farm assessment that was conducted Mint plants soaking in water in 2011 that asserted that we focus on growing cranberries as to ensure full taste extract the marsh had been producing less yield that a wild bog for a decade. Once those adjustments at the farm were made and the yields were substantial it was only then that we began exploring the possibility of making our own ICG products like fudge, soaps and lotions and dressings rather than continue buying and selling another company’s products.

Representatives from ICG met with representatives of Farm Boy, a grocery chain similar to Sobeys. Farm Boy is interested in adding more products to their stores and asked ICG to make a presentation. The representative of Farm Boy was very impressed by our products and we are awaiting their decision. We also are Bottle Labeling line discussing with Algoma the possibility of having ICG products sold in their on-site store.

On a final note, we want to welcome Ben White back to ICG. Ben was recently re-hired and will begin work at the marsh on Enniska\ February 17th. Glad to have you back Ben!!!

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 13 Iroquois Caucus

Council was asked to stand together with our brother and sister Haudenosaunee communities to show solidarity against the Federal

Government’s attempt to legislate education in our communities with the Education Act (FNEA). This Act was rejected in it’s entirety nationally by all First Nation educators, leadership, youth and existing schools.

On February 6th the member Iroquois Communities of , Kenesatake, Awkwesasne, Wahta, Six Nations, Onieda were summoned to a press conference at the host community of Kahnawake, to create and sign a declaration formally denouncing the FNEA. Over a two day period the declaration was discussed and developed with input from all councils and education experts, a draft was reviewed by chiefs in assembly and then signed in a formal setting during the press release. The next day the FNEA was declared officially revoked by the Federal Government and a new Relational Education process would be started. There is much work to do for First Nation communities to ensure that any Government legislation does not take away our right to our self-determination and that certainly includes education.

Community Sustainability Plan Update by Peggy Lovelace

Hello everyone I hope this update finds you safe and warm.

It has been my pleasure to work with your community to develop your sustainability plan. I would like to sincerely thank Council, the Administration, Lorraine George and most importantly the community members who participated by coming out to community meetings, speaking with me on the phone, by email or by completing a survey.

I have great hope for your community that you will overcome the hurdles you are facing and embrace the new direction that the current Leadership is trying to move the community in.

Each and every one of you as Wahta Mohawk people have a responsibility in your community. To be part of the healing and not part of the hurting. There is a strong culture of silence in your community that needs to be addressed. If not history will continue to repeat itself and you will continue to be oppressed by European colonizing efforts.

Page 14 Wahta Mohawk Council Now is the time for change... Now is the time to build a community...

I challenge you to evaluate the positive changes in the community in terms of the vision and the sustainability statements that were developed during the planning processes over the past few years. The Wahta Mohawk Sustainability Plan is based on (4) principle statements:

SocialEquity: TsiAkwe:konSha’tetionKwaite (All are Equal)

Culture: Tsi NiionKwaRiHoten (Our Ways)

Environment: Tsi Aietewhahnonhsta:te tsi niahenweh (To Save the Environment Forever)

Economy: Tewatatienawahs (Taking Care of Everyone)

As you move forward to build your new strong, healthy and sustainable community there will be three distinct process phases. Each phase has priorities today. As the work gets done and the external world changes these shape the process that may need to be repeated.

Phase 1 - Build Community

Phase 2 - Strengthen Community

Phase 3 - Maintain Community

In phase one – Build Community the main focus is on developing a community core, dealing with the lack of housing and addressing the issue of zero population growth and the needs of an aging population.

In phase two – Strengthen Community the main focus is on creating a stronger economy, increasing the number of people who live on the Territory and continuing to review and improve government systems and processes.

In phase three – Maintain Community the main focus is on evaluating services, looking at what is working and what can be changed.

The Sustainability plan document outlines detailed actions for each phase and is available at the band office.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 15 WERC Update Wahta Environmental Resource and Conservation

The Wahta Mohawk Council had previously been contacted by the OPP to utilize our administration building in the winter months to search for some survivalists that were lost in the bush. This helped council Identify that there was a need for somebody that knows the bush and the Territory to aid the police in such time sensitive issues like saving lives!

Council came to a decision that ties back to our Declaration that was adopted by the People on June 24th 1989 as well as the responsibilities that relate to the implementation of the Wahta by-law #1 (1967) for the Protection, Preservation and Management of Fur Bearing Animals and by-law #1-87 a by-law for the levying of fines. It was identified by Council that there was a need to have our own Conservation person to Patrol and Protect our Territory!

The WERC (Wahta Environmental, Resource and Conservation) position was created to protect our Lands, Resources, Environment and Search and Rescue aid.

When the WERC officer (Dave Stock) first started is patrols, there were reports of people that had entered our Territory that were hunting, fishing, illegal trails being made, trespassing, camping etc. The WERC person informed the people that he encountered that they are on Wahta Mohawk Territory, informed them of their infractions and they were asked to leave. It is important for those that come on the territory that they understand that they do not have free reign on our lands.

Keep up the good work Dave!

Here is a photo of Dave Stock in case you are out and about and he checks in with you to see if things are ok. If you happen to see anything that may be a concern to our environment, resources, conservation or trespassing Dave’s contact information is as follows:

Dave Stock Wahta Conservation Officer

705-543-9878 [email protected]

Page 16 Wahta Mohawk Council Update on Court Case against the Wahta Mohawk Council

The court case that was brought forward to re-instate past Chief Blaine Commandant with sole and exclusive powers of Council or put some others on council in his stead and remove the four duly elected Councilors, is still not closed. The original action was brought forward in June 2012.

Shortly thereafter, Council, on the advice of judge Mandamin immediately agreed to mediation in Wahta as a means to resolve issues amicably and to limit potential court costs. The applicants, namely Blaine Commandant, Darrel Bruce DeCaire, George Francis Decaire, Elizabeth Bella Roberts, Scott Sahanatien, Lawrence Schell, Neil Schell, Ronald Strength, Calvin White and Michael Dewasha, after a delay of about 3 weeks, refused mediation and decided to proceed with court action.

On October 16, 2013, after 16 months before the courts, the Applicants abandoned their position. A Settlement Agreement was signed where the applicants agreed and accepted that the Wahta Mohawk Council correctly and properly applied the Wahta Mohawk Election Rules and Regulations when they declared that the office of Chief was vacated due to the fact that Blaine Commandant missed three consecutive meetings, among many more, in violation of the Wahta Mohawk Election Rules and Regulations, adopted by the Wahta Mohawk people.

The Applicants also agreed that through proper application of the Wahta Mohawk Election Rules and Regulations, Blaine would not be eligible to run for any elected position for the Wahta Mohawk Council for a period of three (3) years from the date he was declared to have vacated his office, namely November 24, 2011.

The Settlement Agreement however, was not the end of the process.

In a meeting between Council and community members during one of the court dates when the settlement agreement was being negotiated, the Council received direction to recover costs at a minimum of $150,000.

Recently the Court awarded court costs totaling $56,000 to the Wahta Mohawks, meaning that the applicants owe the Wahta Mohawks $56,000. This will assist in covering a bill that approaches half a million dollars to defend the Wahta Mohawk Election Rules and Regulations and the Council from allegations stemming from a private petition.

This has been a long, distracting and ultimately costly process for the Wahta Mohawks. It is unfortunate that the Applicants chose the court process, rather than the mediation that the judge had recommended and Council agreed to, or this could have all been settled 16 months ago.

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 17 To further clarify some of the misleading statements made during the candidates meeting on Saturday, Section VIII of the Wahta Mohawk Election Rules and Regulations states that:

“Vacancies occur when an elected Chief or elected Councilor:

(iii) is in litigation against the Wahta Mohawks”.

Some of the Applicants currently involved in litigation against the Wahta Mohawks are running for office. If they are elected and the litigation is not finally resolved, they would be in violation of this section, which would then cause vacancies to occur as they would have to step down. This means that immediately after the election results are finalized, a by-election would have to be called resulting in additional costs to Wahta Mohawks and further delays in having a functioning Council in place.

The Electoral Officer, on the advice of legal counsel, is requiring the Applicants to ensure that the court costs are paid prior to being considered as having met all qualifications for running for office.

Council would like to clarify other misleading statements made recently.

1. We were informed that one candidate told the electoral officer that Justice Campbell ruled that the applicants were eligible to run in the election. This is very misleading as the Judge does not have any jurisdiction to determine who can or cannot run in Wahta elections. This is the responsibility of the electoral officer to apply Wahta Election Law and no one else.

2. It was said that Council made a deal at the 11th hour and sent a letter to the applicants that if they didn’t pay by Tuesday at 5pm they couldn’t run. Again, eligibility to run in Wahta elections is up to the Electoral officer and no one else. As far as paying the costs awarded to Wahta Mohawks by the court, the applicants would have to seek guidance from the court on the timetable to pay, not Council. In any event, the costs should be paid so that the applicants who wish to run in the election, are in compliance with the Wahta Mohawks Election Rules and Regulations.

3. It was mentioned that the applicants had “won” the court case. Unfortunately, this is not accurate. The applicant had to concede that the Wahta Election Law was applied properly which was Councils position right from the start. On this point, Council would like to make it very clear that it was never our intent to create “winners” or “losers”. Our responsibility as mandated by the Community declaration is to ALL Wahta citizens. We take no joy in the fact that we were forced into a defensive position by “some of our own people” who seemed to mislead the community at every opportunity, which, in the end, cost Wahta Mohawks money and a lot of wasted time.

4. It was mentioned that Council did not step down as a result of the petition and that Council did not listen to the people. On this we need to be very clear once and for all. The petition was not a public petition. It was not posted in a public location where anyone could read and sign or not sign. It was circulated amongst a small group of people mostly on facebook or email. As far as Council listening to the people, we brought numerous issues to community meetings where lengthy discussions took place and the community gave direction to Council.

Page 18 Wahta Mohawk Council On a final note, we would like to say that even in the face of adversity and personal attacks we made every attempt to remain respectful towards all Wahta Citizens. It is unfortunate that we’ve had to constantly correct misleading statements most recently those made on Saturday, March 8 during the candidates meeting held at the Wahta Mohawks administration building.

We remind everyone that even though there have been untruths and gossip spread amongst our people regarding the actions of this Council, we must remember that they too are still our Citizens and within the realm of Council responsibilities regardless of their constant refusal to see or acknowledge the good work we have done as a Council and as a community.

As Mohawks, it is within our capability and more importantly, our responsibility, to lead by example and refuse to allow ourselves to be drawn into the circular arguments which can only result in a community at war with itself thus without Peace.

While the Mohawk Warrior inside all of us would like nothing more than to be in battle, we must constantly be reminded that as Onkwehonwe, and as Kanien’keha:ka we are bound by the Great Law of Peace. As such, our first responsibility must always be to maintain Peace.

When our ancestors buried the weapons of war amongst the Five Nations, they bound all succeeding generations to the same responsibility to uphold the Great Law and maintain Peace.

What this means, as hard as it may be to accept, is that we must not fight amongst ourselves or we become the instruments of the destruction of the Great Peace established centuries ago.

Finally, the voting process, which is adversarial by design, is not the way of our ancestors. Therefore we must continue to maintain solid footing in our own culture and be positive role models for our people and for future generations.

Nia:wenkowa Wahta Mohawks Council

Wahta Mohawk Council Page 19 Wahta Council Report

Wahta Mohawk Council 2664 Muskoka Rd #38 P.O. Box 260 Bala, Ontario P0C 1A0 8169535