MCK meeting with Minister of Crown Indigenous Relations Bennett today

04/04/2018

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to advise the community that Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton, along with Nitsénhaienhs Christine Zachary-Deom and Clinton Phillips, is meeting today with Crown-Indigenous Relations & Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett.

The meeting is part of the national engagement process on the development of a Recognition and Implementation of Rights Framework, which was announced in February of this year by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

In preparation for the session, Chief & Council have identified concerns with several elements of the meeting, including the lack of adequate notice, absence of input into the design of the engagement plan, and time constraints. These concerns will be relayed to the federal representatives at the session.

“The implementation of federal respect and recognition of rights is a huge and very important undertaking that is long overdue,” stated Grand Chief Norton. “We hope that today’s meeting is one that serves only as a start to this important process. We will be very clear in informing the Minister that we will accept no less than any process or framework that fully respects the jurisdictional authority and integrity of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke.”

The meeting is taking place this morning in Montreal.