Venezuelan Youths to Visit Kahnawake

08/06/2008

A group of youth from Venezuela will arrive in Kahnawà:ke this weekend to take part in a week-long youth exchange. Twenty young people between the ages of 18 to 21, along with their chaperones, will stay in the community from August 9th to the 16th.

“They wish to meet mostly with people their own age,” said Andrew Delisle, Sr., one of the organizers of the exchange. “They want to learn about who we are, what we do, and our future goals.”

The group, sponsored by Montreal-based Bolivarian Society of Canada, will arrive on Saturday and will spend their first day taking part in the International Day of Indigenous Peoples celebrations taking place in Montreal. They will attend a lacrosse game in the evening. On Sunday, they will attend the Green Bean Ceremony at the Longhouse on 207. An official welcome by Grand Chief Michael Ahríhrhon Delisle, Jr. is planned for Monday.

A committee made up of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke, the Cultural Center and Traditional groups has been working to organize the visit.

“The plan is to send a group of our youth to experience Venezuela at some point in the next few months,” said Andrew Delisle.