The Federal Budget and Road to Unity at Six Nations of the Grand River

We are Haudenosaunee [Onkwehonwe] people of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. As members of the Six Nations of the Grand River 58th Elected Council, we reaffirm our commitment to “Kayanerenkó:wa” (The Great Law of Peace) which is based on “inclusivity, peaceful co-existence and strength, through unity.”

Unity remains our ultimate goal in this 58th Elected Term.

We acknowledge that the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) have publicly called for a development moratorium on Six Nations lands during a press conference on April 20, 2021.

Elected Chief MarkB. Hill shared that Council is encouraged by the discussions that have been ongoing with the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council and their representatives over the last few months.

Hill said, “I’m hopeful that we will keep going, working together for the common good of all community members…a process which can be fully supported by all Haudenosaunee peoples of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory”.

The recent 2021 Federal Budget announcement revealed a pledge of over $18 billion over the next five years to First Nations and other Indigenous Groups for key priorities to support capacity in communities. Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council has identified a long list of needs in our community, which include but are certainly not limited to, Kawenni:io Language School, Language Commission, Palliative Care Facility and Operations, new Long Term Care Facility for our Elderly and Aged, Waterline Extension Community Hook Up to address long-standing potable water issues. Chief Mark B. Hill states, “We are optimistic with the latest Federal budget that Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) will now come to the table with sufficient funding to support our Six Nations needs.”

With adequate resources to address the many issues above –we will be better positioned to “stay the course” in our battle against COVID 19 and work on the outstanding needs.

For Six Nations, the pursuit of the common community good, and unity cannot be underscored enough. We are at a pivotal point in our history and want to see growth in our community. Through a unified approach, we believe we can collectively advocate for Kawenni:io Language School, a key educational institution that aims to strengthen our community’s traditional knowledge and use of our languages. We will be reaching out to the HCCC asking them to work together in ensuring that the Federal Government meet its fiduciary duty to First Nation education by funding all capital, operational and maintenance costs required in the building of a new, safe school for our children aged K –12 at Six Nations. We fully recognize that the Confederacy Chiefs and Clan mothers have a well-known historical and cultural role in upholding the importance of our languages and culture. We are all proud of our Haudenosaunee culture, and we look forward to working together with the Confederacy Chiefs and Clan mothers to provide for the needs of our youth and of the coming faces.

During the past year in the midst of a global pandemic, we, along with the world, have worked diligently to protect our people. We reiterate that we are committed to a collaborative relationship with our community, working to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of all Six Nations people.