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, Tonya Perron, and Arnold Boyer
Out: Ross Montour (bereavement)
Also Present: Olivia Diabo (Office of the Council of Chiefs [OCC] Coordinator), Abbey Diabo (Director of the Office of the Council of Chiefs), Tehosterihens Deer (Public Relations Specialist, Political), Dawn Marquis-Deere (Executive Director), and for Housekeeping only: 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 by Cody Diabo
- Out of Offices: Ryan Montour from September 8-15 (vacation); Jeffrey Diabo from August 27-28 (vacation); Arnold Boyer from August 25-28 (vacation)
- Public Relations Items: Ratitsénhaienhs Report; Arnold Boyer confirmed; K1037 MCK Friday – David Diabo and Jeremiah Johnson confirmed; community meeting agenda set
- Nature conservancy of Canada invitation to collaborate on the interpretation of a Protected Forest in Tiohtià:ke — Stephen McComber to follow up
- New Feedback from Kahnawà:ke.com- Invitation to bring Elders to fish in Kahnawà:ke — David Diabo to follow up
- Travel Requests (4) Cody Diabo requests to travel to Enoch Cree Nation, Edmonton, Alberta from August 19-20 for Treaty No. 6 150th Commemoration Pow Wow. Cost is $2,402.84; Jeffrey Diabo requests to travel to the Blackfoot Confederacy in Calgary, Alberta from October 26-28 for the Jay Treaty Border Alliance Summit. Cost is $3,407.35; Melanie Morrison requests to travel to Centre Sanaaq Montreal on August 25 for Indigenous Language Conference. Cost is $163.56; Paul Rice requests to travel to Las Vegas, USA, from September 28 – October 1 for Global Gaming Expo. Cost is $4,676.42; All four (4) travel requests approved
- Jeremiah Johnson: Wednesday: Information Governance and Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Community Meeting; Thursday (August 27); External Government Relations (EGR) Portfolio, and internal hydro kinetic turbine meetings; Friday (August 28); Housing reconciliation
- Paul Rice: Wednesday: Strategic review, evaluation preparation meeting with legal services, meeting preparations for transfer of Mohawk Internet Technologies, Revenue and Business Development Unit (RBDU) meetings, weekly project MOL 2.0, and community meetings; Thursday: Finance and technical committee, and Economic Development portfolio meetings (tentative); Friday: Jaques-Cartier and Champlain Bridges Incorporated coordination meeting, and MCK Golf staff tournament; Monday (August 24): Infrastructure, Transport & Operations (ITO) Portfolio; Wednesday (August 26): weekly project MOL 2.0 meetings; Thursday (August 27): EGR Portfolio meeting
- Melanie Morrison: Wednesday: Kahnawà:ke Cultural Arts Center Building (Kanatahkwèn:ke Cultural Arts Center), archaeology, Community Meetings; Thursday; Lecolle Indigenous artist presentations in Montreal (Heritage Portfolio); Friday: JCCBI meeting, and MCK Golf staff tournament; Monday (August 24): Indigenous Relations preparation meeting; Tuesday (August 25): Multi-Purpose Finance Committee, and Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language & Cultural Center (KORLCC) Board meeting; Wednesday (August 26): Thursday (August 27): EGR Portfolio meeting
- Ryan Montour: Wednesday: weekly project MOL 2.0, Community Meeting; Thursday: Client Based Services committee meeting; Economic Development team, and Economic Portfolio restructuring meetings; Friday: MCK Golf staff tournament
- Jeffrey Diabo: Wednesday: Kahnawà:ke-Quebec Relations, Spec claims, Governance Portfolio Meeting, and Community Meetings; Thursday: Economic Development Portfolio meeting; Friday: Travel to the University of Albany; Monday (August 24): ITO Portfolio meeting; Wednesday (August 26): weekly project meeting MOL 2.0; Thursday (August 27): EGR Portfolio meeting
- David Diabo: Wednesday: Information Governance and AI, Land Management Committee, and Community Meeting; Thursday: meeting with community member, ovation seven on work opportunities; Friday: MCK Golf staff tournament
- Stephen McComber: Wednesday: Community Meeting; Wednesday (August 26): Community Prevention Action Group (CPAG)
- Tonya Perron: Wednesday: Information Governance and AI, Governance Portfolio Team, and Community Meeting; Thursday: meeting with community member, Governance Advisory Team (tentative); Friday: MCK Golf tournament; Tuesday (August 25): Review of Finance And Operations appeal body meeting; Thursday (August 27): Justice commission meeting (virtual)
- Arnold Boyer: Wednesday: Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services Board, and Community Meetings; Thursday: Client Based Services Committee (tentative), and Terapure Working Group; Friday: JCCBI, and MCK Golf staff tournament; Monday (August 24): ITO Portfolio meeting
- Cody Diabo: Monday: RBDU meetings;Wednesday-Thursday: Traveling to Edmonton Alberta; Friday: MCK Golf staff tournament; Tuesday (August 25): SSSL, Multi-purpose finance building meeting with partners, SSSL elders at Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre; Wednesday (August 26): Strategics review, Iroquois Caucus Chiefs, and weekly project meeting MOL 2.0; Thursday (August 27): EGR Portfolio meeting
Agenda Items:
Mohawk Council Executive Directive (MCED): Appointment of Kahanwake Gaming Commission Commissioners
Presence of: Abbey Diabo (Director of the Office of the Council of Chiefs), Portfolio Lead: Paul Rice
Request to the Ratitsénhaienhs to appoint Vicky Diabo for the position of Commissioner on the Kahnawà:ke Gaming Commission for a one (1) year term, effective August 17, 2026 — Approved by majority with one objection (Jeremiah Johnson)
Council In-Camera session
Kahnawake Labor Code Confidential Update
Presence of: Alan John Rice (Executive Operations Officer), Jeff Morris (Director of Kahnawà:ke Labor Office), Portfolio Lead: David Diabo
This item is Confidential
MCED: Approval of Budget for Blue Collar Park (BCP) Project
Presence of: Chris Stacey (Executive Infrastructure Officer) (virtual), Portfolio Lead: Paul Rice
Request to approve the Blue Collar Park project’s additional funding of $23 million bringing the new total project budget to $40 million — Approved by majority with one objection (Jeremiah Johnson)
Executive Office Updates
Presence of: Dawn Marquis-Deere (Executive Director)
Dawn Marquis-Deere provided updates on out of offices, upcoming meetings, economies of scale committee, Kahnawà:ke Director of Legislative Services hiring, KOC building renovation matters, Request for Proposal St-Remi demolition posting, waste water treatment plan, complaints policy, MCK employee bonuses, Director of Human Resources position posting, employee engagement specialist position, MCK Open House, MCK parking restructuring, OCC executive office off-site schedule, Human Resources visit, and MCK construction dates
Ratitsénhaienhs Updates
Jeremiah Johnson provided updates on Community Initiatives Fund benefits, Environment Portfolio meetings, Kateri Island walking bridge, Terrapure Working Group, air quality monitoring, Wetland restoration matters, protective lands property meetings, Environment Law, north creek restoration, and seed bank discussions
Stephen McComber provided updates on St Remi lands sustainability discussions, and on St. Francis Xavier Church meetings
Melanie Morrison provided updates on Kanatahkwèn:ke opening invitations, and international advocacy team meeting
Paul Rice provided updates on Transport and User Fees meetings
Adjournment
Meeting closed at 3:56pm by Cody Diabo
