No Interim Grand Chief to be named

09/01/2020

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to inform the community that consensus was reached at yesterday’s duly-convened Council meeting, where it was determined that no Interim Grand Chief will be designated for the remainder of the 2018-2021 term.

In the wake of Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton’s passing, the eleven (11) Ratitsénhaienhs affirmed their commitment to work collectively to ensure the needs of the community are met.

It was agreed that Ietsénhaienhs Tonya Perron will continue to act as Chairperson for the weekly Council meetings, as she has since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Her role will include the approval of the agenda for each meeting.

For Strategic Discussions, the lead Portfolio Chief will act as Chairperson for his/her item. He/she will also act as the lead spokesperson for his/her respective portfolio(s).

Grand Chief Norton was the lead on the Intergovernmental Relations Portfolio and Border Crossing file. The three Ratitsénhaienhs remaining on the Intergovernmental portfolio (Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer, Gina Deer and Clinton Phillips) will meet to discuss who will fulfill the responsibility of Lead Portfolio Chief. Discussions will also take place to name a lead on the Border Crossing file.

Please note that the Council of Chiefs will be engaging in several public relations activities with community members to facilitate an open and full understanding of this approach.

Grand Chief Norton passed away less than a year before the end of the current term. Therefore, as indicated in the Kahnawà:ke Election Law, no by-election will take place to fill the vacancy. As a sign of respect, Tokwiro’s photo as Grand Chief will remain in the MCK’s main lobby and on the Kahnawake.com website, with notations indicating that he will not be replaced for the remainder of the term.