Grand Chief attending Jay Treaty Border Alliance conference

06/27/2022

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to inform the community that Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs (Grand Chief) Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer and Ratsénhaienhs Ross Montour are attending the 5th annual Jay Treaty Border Alliance Conference being held in Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan this week.

Grand Chief Sky-Deer is one of four co-Chairs of the Alliance, along with Chief Michael Conners of the St. Regis Tribal Council, Chairperson Jennifer Porter of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, and Grand Chief Abram Benedict of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.

The first two days of the conference are being held in Windsor. Agenda items include an update on the previous Border Alliance summit held in Ottawa this past April; meetings with Canadian Ministers and Members of Parliament; meetings with representatives of the Canada Border Services Agency; and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The Conference will shift across the river to Detroit on Wednesday, where the agenda includes updates on political activities, including advocating for the Tribal Border Crossing Parity Act; and meetings with the Department of Homeland Security.

The Border Alliance was created to address longstanding border crossing issues. It includes numerous nations from both sides of the Canada/U.S. border, who are working to protect Indigenous rights preserved in the Jay Treaty, and to create effective working relationships with both U.S. and Canadian border agencies.

Ratitsénhaienhs Sky-Deer and Montour will return to the office next week.