The Kahnawake Mohawk Council criticizes the Quebec government for questioning a land recognition by the Montreal Canadiens that refers to the undisclosed territory of the Mohawk Nation.
The statement, read ahead of the NHL team’s home games this season, recognizes the hospitality of the Mohawk Nation “in this traditional and unremitting territory where we are gathered today.”
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Montreal Canadiens land recognition may be a mistake: Quebec Minister of Indigenous Affairs
Quebec’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière told reporters Wednesday that the recognition may be a mistake.
In a statement Thursday, the council-elect for the First Nations reservation across the river from Montreal praised the hockey club’s gesture as an example of true reconciliation, adding that it was “rejected” by the province’s attempt. politicizing the effort, which he said undermines the Mohawk presence in the Montreal region.
On Wednesday, Lafrenière told reporters that referring to a specific nation may be a mistake, as historians differ on which nation was the first to live in Montreal, while adding that it was important to recognize that First Nations were the first. to occupy.
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Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer said in a statement that land is an essential part of the Mohawk identity.
“It contains the knowledge of our ancestors, our history and our presence, now and in the future,” said Sky-Deer. “Comments with opinions that challenge and discredit our presence are not only insulting, but are taken as displaced attacks on our existence.”
© 2021 The Canadian Press
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