Preliminary work at site of new Multi-Purpose Building set to begin

09/09/2022

The Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkhwa Language & Cultural Center and its partners (‘the Team’) wish to advise the community that preliminary work at the site for the new Multi-Purpose Building that will house the Cultural Center, Museum and Theatre will begin the week of September 13th. This work is being done in preparation for the official ground-breaking and construction, which could begin as early as next spring.

Trees and brush that will be taken for the building, parking, roads, and circulation may be removed starting the week of September 26 and completed by end of October.

The Team has approached knowledgeable community members to assist in identifying plans and uses for the trees to be removed, to carry out ceremonies required for tree removal, and to help identify medicinal or invasive plants. If there are smaller trees, they can be offered to community members to be transplanted.

If medicines are found, they will be required to be dug up and re-planted elsewhere. Removal and disposal of invasive species will require a special plan to be developed by the environmental consultant and validated by the Kahnawà:ke Environment Protection Office. It is suggested that as much buckthorn as possible be removed from the area around the building site to avoid its encroachment and spreading on the site after it is disturbed.

The following are a list of actions to be taken this Fall 2022:
• A company will be hired to tag the trees to be removed
• A walk-thru of the construction area with knowledgeable community members to verify the trees and medicines to quickly develop a plan for their uses or transplanting
• Community Tree Surgeons will be approached to bid on the job of removing the trees
• Public works will remove the brush and create an entrance to the site for the upcoming works away from the Survival School entrance

This Project will be following Kahnawake Environments recommendations. As the Team stated years ago, for every tree removed, two will be planted in the community or at the site after construction.