The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) is pleased to announce that, during its duly-convened Council meeting on Monday, December 8, 2025, the Table approved a Mohawk Council Executive Directive (MCED) to initiate the process of adding land to the Kahnawà:ke Territory (Reserve #14).
This approval authorizes the MCK to submit a formal application through the Additions to Reserve (ATR) Policy for approximately 162 acres spread across two lots located in St. Remi and St. Isidore. Discussions with the Federal Government regarding these lots have been ongoing since 2018.
“This is more than a land transfer, it is a powerful, historic step forward in our Land Back initiatives,” said Ohén:ton Í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo. “Reclaiming these 162 acres is about restoring what has always belonged to our people and ensuring that they serve the needs of our community for generations to come,” Diabo added.
As the ATR process takes years to complete, the MCK is not yet in a position to determine specific land use, given that discussions and negotiations are being finalized. Beginning in 2026, the MCK will hold a series of in-person community engagement sessions to provide information and collect feedback from Kahnawa’kehró:non – a commitment that the MCK has made on other land-related files.
In 2019, MCK sent a letter of interest in these lots to Canada, resulting in their transfer to Crown Indigenous Relations Native Affairs Canada (CIRNAC) to hold for Kahnawà:ke as part of the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis (SSSL) negotiations. In 2024, CIRNAC indicated their intent to transfer the lots and have committed to continuing negotiations on how the returned lands will impact lands owed in the SSSL Grievance.
However, under the ATR Policy, it indicates that remediation work must be completed before the lands can be officially transferred. The lots were previously used as a federal communications site with a tower, while the surrounding lands were leased to local farmers for agriculture.
