Membership Law Hearing continues tomorrow (Tuesday) at Golden Age Club

04/11/2016

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to remind Kahnawa’kehró:non that the next meeting on proposed amendments to the Kahnawà:ke Membership Law will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) evening at the Golden Age Club.

The agenda includes the on-going effort to complete the Definition of ‘Great Grand Parent’ and Section 15 (‘Application Process/Approved Kahnawà:ke Residents’). Should these be completed, Sections 16, 17 and 18 on ‘Entitlements;’ ‘Privileges;’ and ‘Responsibilities of the Kanien’keháka of Kahnawà:ke’ and Section 19 on the ‘Obligations of Approved Kahnawà:ke Residents’)  will be discussed.

“We really hope to gain consensus on the ‘Great Grand Parent’ definition issue,” said Membership Portfolio Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer. “The Membership Department will be presenting lineage charts to show how it would be impacted should blood quantum be used as a criterion in this clause. Hopefully, this presentation will allow the community to gain a clearer understanding on the issue and to then move forward.”

“Unlike the moratorium and the original 1984 Mohawk Law on Membership, blood quantum is not the defining factor in the current law,“ she explained, “Nonetheless, it still comes up in discussions and is very difficult to steer completely away from.”

This will be the eleventh meeting in the First Hearing phase of the Community Decision Making Process. The meeting starts at 6pm sharp and will run until 8:30pm.