Many compelling discussions were had by Akwesasne community members on the Akwesasne Mohawk Land Claim Settlement. These sentiments set the stage for an evening of open dialogue over the final settlement of the 41-year-old land claim of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (SRMT), Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs.
AKWESASNE (Kentenhkó:wa/November 20, 2023) - On Thursday, November 16, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe held its third community meeting of 2023 at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort. Joining Tribal Council were officials from the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, together they represent the Tri-Council in the land claim settlement.
“We have worked very hard on this settlement and at presenting the facts and details amidst a lot of mis-information. As we have explained to our community members, there are a great many benefits from settling, primarily in increasing our land base,” said Tribal Chief Beverly Cook.
Echoed throughout this process and to those in attendance at the latest meeting, “It has been our community’s continuous desire and Tribal Council’s commitment to reacquire Akwesasne’s lands, and this kind of meaningful community engagement is just one more step towards final settlement. We hope that we can get all parties to approve and have a settlement submitted for Federal approval very soon,” stated Tribal Chief Michael Conners.
The Tribe has consistently been transparent about its preference to have a negotiated settlement for the land claim that benefits the people and the community’s neighbors. “Many of our community members have worked hard over the years to reclaim this land, some of them are no longer with us. This has been a very long and passionate journey that appears to have a positive outcome,” says Tribal Chief Ronald LaFrance.
The Tribal Council encourages members to review the “Akwesasne Mohawks Land Claim Information” by visiting www.srmt-nsn.gov and attend future sessions and Tribal Monthly meetings to receive the most up-to-date information.
#####The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.