Wahta Community Fire Update – Idle No More
The Wahta Community Fire calls on the Wahta Mohawk Council to respect and implement community governance laws.
Merchandising Rights
Haudenosaunee peoples historically view participation in mainstream electoral processes as undermining the treaty relationship with the Crown set out in the Tekeni Teiohate (Two Row Wampum) and the Tehontatenenthsonterontahkhwa (Covenant Chain). Haudenosaunee governments have a responsibility to assert our treaty relationship with the Crown.
In the February newsletter, the Wahta Council has included a full-page plea from a candidate seeking the nomination to represent a candidate seeking the nomination to represent a mainstream political party in the Muskoka-Parry Sound riding in the next federal election. The letter encourages Wahtaronon to purchase memberships in one particular political party and participate in an upcoming nomination meeting.
Once again, the Wahta Council is immersing themselves in mainstream politics in the region, as is the case in their very public intervention in municipal politics on the issue of a second hydro-electric power development at the Bala Falls.
The Wahta Council has diminished the governance capacity of the Wahta Mohawk people by choosing to ignore the Administration Code and Financial Code, and blurring the lines between the political and administrative operations. While our domestic challenges such as good governance, language recovery, and unresolved land claim issues (to name but a few) go unaddressed, the Wahta Council spends time and money to intervene in mainstream partisan politics that have nothing to do with our collective priorities. The merits of the candidate or the party they want to represent have no bearing on this issue.
Wahta is being used as a platform for a variety of mainstream interests. Council has put out a welcome sign and our rights and people are the merchandise.
And what are their plans for our lands???
The above was written by the Wahta Community Fire and can be found on their Facebook page. Pictures courtesy of the Wahta Community Fire.
The following article from the Toronto Star does not clarify community activist, Karihwakeron Tim Thompson’s position on the First Nations Financial Transparency Act. The Wahta Community Fire including Karihwakeron, have been calling on the Wahta Mohawk Council to implement the community governance laws for almost a year now. Karihwakeron does not support the FNFTA, but this has been the only avenue for Wahta community members to access monetary decisions made by the Wahta Mohawk Council. The information available to the public only reflects the first two weeks of the newly elected council at the end of the fiscal reporting period submitted. These documents have reiterated to the members of the Wahta Community Fire the need for the current council to address the concerns of their community members by acknowledging and implementing the Community Governance laws as developed in an open forum over a three year period, by community members.
See article link below:
For more information about the Wahta Community Fire you can visit their website, Facebook group or follow them on Twitter
Website: www.wahta-community-fire.ca
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WahtaFire
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WahtaFire