Kahnawake council advises harvesters to seek host First Nation letters

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake says harvesters from the community should contact other First Nations before hunting on their territories, after conservation officers stopped and charged Kahnawake harvesters in recent years. The council issued the advisory on Oct. 13 as harvesting season got underway, saying it continues to receive concerns from other Indigenous communities about Kahnawake harvesters in their territories.¹

The council, which uses the spelling Kahnawà:ke, said many First Nations now have a process that should be followed when harvesting rights are exercised outside Kahnawake. It said harvesters should contact any host First Nation in advance to advise them of their intent to harvest and request a letter of acknowledgment from the appropriate office.¹

The advisory describes what has happened when that process is not followed. It says Kahnawake harvesters have been stopped by both provincial and First Nation conservation officers while harvesting in other territories, and were charged with hunting without the required documentation, including letters of acknowledgment from host communities. One court case involving Kahnawake harvesters is currently pending, the council said.¹

Not every stop led to charges. The council said other Kahnawake harvesters who were stopped by conservation officers were not charged because they were accompanied by a local First Nation harvester or were able to provide documentation.¹

Provincial game wardens may also request a letter from the host community confirming the community or nation acknowledges and accepts the harvester, according to the advisory. The council said following the process helps uphold shared principles of respect, responsibility and nation-to-nation relations while harvesting rights are exercised.¹

The core of this issue is respect for the lands, waters, wildlife, and the cultural protocols of other First Nations whose territory is being accessed.¹Mohawk Council of Kahnawake

The council said the concerns come from other Indigenous communities and that the advisory is meant to ensure respect, cooperation and collaboration. It did not name the communities that raised concerns, the territories involved or the provincial conservation services whose officers made the stops.¹

Harvesters with questions are directed to Ratsénhaienhs David Diabo at David.Diabo@mck.ca or to Dennis Diabo, an Office for the Council of Chiefs strategist, at Dennis.Diabo@mck.ca. The council did not say when the pending court case is scheduled to return or which court is hearing it.¹