Meeting at Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke
In: Ratitsénhaienhs Cody Diabo (Chairperson), Jeremiah Johnson, Paul Rice, Melanie Morrison, Ryan Montour, Jeffrey Diabo, David Diabo, Stephen McComber (left during lunch break), Tonya Perron, and Arnold Boyer
Out: Ross Montour (Wellness)
Also Present: Jaime-Lynn Deere (Council Meeting Administrator), Tehosterihens Deer (Public Relations Specialist, Political), Dawn Marquis-Deere (Executive Administrative Officer/Interim Executive Director), and for Housekeeping only: Iris Montour (General Manager of Kanien’kehá:ka Rights & Research) (virtual), Olivia Diabo (Office of the Council of Chiefs [OCC] Coordinator), Kelly Marquis (KRR Strategist), Tricia Diabo (OCC Admin Support Coordinator), Tyanna Kirby (Executive Assistant to Ohén:ton Í:rate ne Ratitsénhaienhs), and Taiawentetie Hemlock (Executive Assistant to the Kahnawa’kehró:non Ratitsénhaienhs)
Housekeeping
- Ohén:ton Karihwatéhkwen recited by Jeremiah Johnson
- Out of Offices: Cody Diabo and Melanie Morrison on June 12; Paul Rice on June 15 for real estate meeting (AM Only); Arnold Boyer on July 17-20, August 10-14 & 25-September 1st for Vacation
- Public Relations Items: Ratitsénhaienhs Report — Stephen McComber confirmed; PRU open house reminder; Jeremiah Johnson & David Diabo confirmed for MCK Friday
- Minute Approval: April 23, 2026 — Minutes approved
- Kidney Walk Recap — Arnold Boyer provided a recap of Kidney Walk attendance, event details, and fundraising goal achievements
- Invitation: 11th Annual Global Conference taking place on June 29-30 in Montreal –– Cody Diabo and Stephen McComber to attend
- (2) Travel Request – Cody Diabo requests to visit Manhattan New York City on June 16. Trip cost is 1595.32$ and will be covered by Hydro-Quebec; David Diabo requests to visit Iroquois Caucus & Assembly First Nations (AFN) in Ottawa from July 12-14. Travel cost is $886.24 — Both requests approved
- Impromptu item:Holocaust survivor book memoir invitation — Invite declined due to unavailability and last-minute notice
Tuesday: All-day Strategic discussions
- Jeremiah Johnson: Wednesday: Golden Age Club (GAC) visit; Thursday: Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) vegetation Via Rail (postponed), Kahnawà:ke Legislative Committee (KLC), Kahnawà:ke Legislative Services (KLS) Working Group; Friday: Tobacco Law Working Group, Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) Social Support meetings
- Paul Rice: Monday: First Peoples Gaming Association virtual meeting; Wednesday: CPKC Preparation & negotiation meeting, GAC visit, Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) Chairperson, and OCC catch-up meetings; Thursday: Executive Director (ED) interviews, and Canadian Gaming Summit phone call; Friday: Real Estate project meeting
- Melanie Morrison: Wednesday: Community member meeting, GAC visit, and National Family and Survivor Circle meetings; Friday: Jacques Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated (JCCBI), and Route 207 discussion meetings
- Ryan Montour: Wednesday: Kahnawà:ke-Canada Relations team meeting, and GAC visit; Thursday: CPKC vegetation Via Rail (postponed), and Mortgage Reconciliation meetings; Friday: Tobacco Working Group, Mortgage Reconciliation, Change of Command ceremony for Canadian Ship Donnacona event preparation, and CIF Social Support meetings
- Jeffrey Diabo: Wednesday: GAC visit; Thursday: Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility special committee meeting; Friday: Tobacco Working Group, and Change of Command ceremony for Canadian Ship Donnacona event preparations
- David Diabo: Wednesday: CPKC vegetation Via Rail (postponed), Employment code, Information Governance and Artificial Intelligence (AI) meetings, and GAC visit; Thursday: Kahnawà:ke Labor Office (KLO) political strategic, Kahnawà:ke Rights and Research (KRR) Portfolio, and Kahnawà:ke/Canada Relations (KCR) Lands sectoral meetings; Friday: Change of Command ceremony for Canadian Ship Donnacona event preparation
- Stephen McComber: Wednesday: GAC visit; Thursday: Change of Command ceremony for Canadian Ship Donnacona event preparations, KRR Portfolio, and budget meetings (tentative); Friday: Modular Farming Unit project meeting, Change of Command ceremony for Canadian Ship Donnacona event preparations, and KCR office updates
- Tonya Perron: Wednesday: Wellness; Thursday: ED interviews, and KLS Working Group; Friday: Wellness
- Arnold Boyer: Wednesday: GAC visit, and Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre Board of Directors, and Mercier Bridge special committee communications meetings; Thursday: Terrapure Working Group meeting; Friday: JCCBI, and Route 207 discussion
- Cody Diabo: Monday: Phone call with Darcy Bear of the National Indigenous Economic Development Board; Wednesday: Strategic discussions review, meeting with OCC (internal), GAC visit, and KGC chairperson meetings; Thursday: ED interviews; Friday: Vacation
Agenda Items:
Mohawk Council Executive Directive (MCED): Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) Elder and Disability Support Policy
Presence of: Alan John Rice (Executive Operations Officer), Melanie Gilbert (Office of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Registry General Manager), Nasseem Hakimian (Organizational Development Unit Operations project manager), Portfolio Lead: Jeremiah Johnson
Request to the Kahnawa’kehró:non Ratitsénhaienhs to approve the proposed changes to the CIF: Direction was given in Spring 2025 to restructure the CIF to ensure that its own source revenue would be available for community members. During a strategic discussion in June 2025, a new version of the proposed terms of reference for the CIF was presented in which four areas of impact for the fund were determined, among those included the Elder and Disability Support program. Due to high demand, a request to approve the Policy for Elder and Disability Support was drafted – Consensus declared
Bill S-2 Discussion
Presence of: Rose-Ann Morris (OCC Strategist), Tonia Jacobs (OCC Strategist), Alex Belser (OCC Strategist), William Lahache (OCC Strategist), Brian Audla (OCC Strategist), Georgia MacLeod (OCC Strategist), Jenny Toh (OCC Strategist), Kelly Marquis (OCC Strategist), Melanie Gilbert (Office of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Registry General Manager), Trina C. Diabo (OCC General Manager), Kiera Beauvais (Office of the Kanien’kehá:ka of Kahnawà:ke Registry)
Political and strategic discussion held on Bill S-2
Kanien’ké:ha Class for Ratitsénhaienhs during lunch hour
Melanie Morrison, Ryan Montour, Tonya Perron, Jeffrey Diabo, David Diabo, and Arnold Boyer attended
Impromptu item: Bill 4 discussion
Presence of: Trina C. Diabo (OCC General Manager), Tonia Jacobs (OCC Strategist), Suzanne Jackson (virtual) (MCK Legal Counsel), Lloyd Phillips (Commissioner of Public Security), Tricia Diabo (OCC Admin Support Coordinator), Dwayne Zacharie (Chief Peacekeeper), Robyn Montour (Director of Public Safety), Kara Paul (virtual) (Justice Services Alternative Justice Coordinator), Cheryl Zacharie (Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services Director of Family Preservation [Clinical] Services), Portfolio Lead: Ryan Montour
This item is Client Attorney Privilege (CAP)
Executive Office Updates
Presence of: Dawn Marquis-Deere (Interim-Executive Director)
Dawn Marquis-Deere provided updates on out of offices, Tolls project, HR matters, cheque signers, staff picnic, PRU social media guidelines policy, and OCC matters
Ratitsénhaienhs Updates
Presence of: Tonia Jacobs (OC Strategist), Jenny Toh (OCC Strategist), Trina C. Diabo (OCC General Manager), William Lahache (OCC Strategist), Brian Audla (OCC Strategist), Georgia MacLeod (OCC Strategist)
Arnold Boyer provided updates on roadwork developments, and AFN
Tonya Perron provided updates on Administrative Tribunal Regulation, Justice Services relocation, MOU matters, 2026 Wheelchair challenge, and Justice matters
David Diabo provided updates on KLO matters, and CPKC Lands meetings
Jeffrey Diabo provided updates on tax issues, meetings with Revenue Quebec, Cross Border taxation, and Mercier Bridge project discussions
Ryan Montour provided updates on Bill S-2, Housing, lot 106 rink project
Melanie Morrison provided updates on Regional Committee of First Nations Languages virtual meeting
Paul Rice provided updates on Tolls project, Electric Gaming Devices Gaming engagement report, Economic Development projects, Transport and User Fee meetings, real estate project deadline, Kahnawà:ke Sovereign Wealth Fund (KSWF)
Jeremiah Johnson provided updates on KLS, Cannabis meeting, serving of suspension
Cody Diabo provided updates on SSSL Ottawa visit, Bill S-2, Additions To Reserve acreage, and SSSL community presentation
Adjournment
Meeting closed at 4:04 by Cody Diabo
