Quebec’s Indigenous Affairs Minister Ian Lafrenière says a Montreal Canadiens land reconnaissance that refers to the undisclosed territory of the Mohawk nation may be a mistake.
The statement, which has been read before the NHL team’s home games since Saturday, recognizes the Kanien’keha: ka, or Mohawks, for their hospitality in what is referred to as “unremitting traditional territory.”
Lafrenière told reporters that while it is important to recognize that First Nations were here before others, the statement may be inaccurate because it enters an area that is the subject of debate among historians.
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He says it is unclear who the first people were in what is now Montreal.
On Tuesday, the liberal opposition leader, Dominique Anglade, praised the team’s decision to introduce land recognition and said it sends an important message.
However, the leader of the Parti Québécois Paul St-Pierre Plamondon said that it is a mistake to claim that Montreal is Mohawk territory without limits.
© 2021 The Canadian Press
Reference-globalnews.ca