Grand Chief statement to community regarding Covid-19

03/20/2020

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to provide a brief statement to the community from Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Watkwanonhwerá:ton,

As Grand Chief, I felt it important to offer some thoughts on the current state of the community in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic.

First, I sincerely hope that, as much as possible, we are spared from the effects of this worldwide pandemic. The situation we are in is not a joke and no one should treat it as such. We have to take every precaution to ensure the health and safety of all community members. It is clear that those under the greatest threat are the elders, so we are asking that everyone respect the measures that have been put in place by the COVID-19 Task Force team. The Hospital, Elders Lodge and Independent Living Services are all closed to visitors for the right reasons.

We are fortunate to have a highly-skilled team in place to help steer us through these difficult times. The Task Force consists of leaders from the KMHC, Public Safety, Peacekeepers, Fire Brigade, KSCS and others. They have been working long hours to ensure this community has every bit of information on a timely and daily basis as we battle through the pandemic.

The Task Force has been continuously in contact with Chief & Council to ensure the lines of communication remain strong. The MCK has pledged to make every effort to assist the Task Force in its work and will continue to do so until the pandemic is over. Individual Council Chiefs have been continuously receiving phone calls from community members looking for reassurances that someone is listening to their concerns. We welcome that and will always be available for that purpose.

In closing, we would like to reassure Kahnawa’kehró:non that we are working tirelessly to face the issues head on and will continue to provide timely updates on a continuing basis. This is a community that pulls together whenever we are faced with a crisis. Look after yourselves and your families. We will get through this together.”

Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton