MCK congratulates Justin Trudeau’s Liberals

10/20/2015

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to congratulate Justin Trudeau and the Liberal Party for their resounding victory in yesterday’s federal election.

The MCK was pleased that, in his victory speech, Mr. Trudeau made a commitment to begin a new Nation-to-Nation relationship with Canada’s Aboriginal people that honors rights and respects treaties. 

“While the Mohawks generally do not participate in the Canadian or provincial electoral processes, we have no choice but to sit together to address our issues and to hopefully begin making progress,” said Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton. “In the aftermath of this election, we find ourselves feeling more optimistic than we have in a long time. Mr. Trudeau said the right things during his campaign and in his speech last night. We’re hoping that he doesn’t wait too long to begin the long-overdue dialogue between First Nations and Canada.”

“We expect to engage in rebuilding a Nation-to-Nation relationship that is based upon trust, recognition and – more importantly – respect,” he concluded.

Grand Chief Norton will be sending a formal letter of congratulations to Mr. Trudeau on behalf of the MCK.

The MCK would also like to offer congratulations to the ten (10) successful Indigenous candidates, including Liberals Don Rusnak (Anishinaabe), Jody Wilson-Raybould (Kwakwaka’wakw), Vance Badewey (Metis), Yvonne Jones (Inuit), Michael McLeod (Metis), Hunter Tootoo (Inuit), Robert-Falcon Ouellette (Cree), and Dan Vandal (Metis), along with Romeo Saganash (Cree) and Georgina Jolibois (Dene) of the New Democratic Party.