Mohawk nation recognized
Dignitaries gathered in Kelso Park on a blisteringly cold morning last Thursday to inaugurate a plaque signifying a bond of friendship between the Mohawk nation and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue. The plaque is installed at the foot of a soaring white pine. Kelso Park is on Ste-Anne’s waterfront. Factoring in the wind chill, the temperature hovered around -30 C. Speeches were brief. Dignitaries included Akwesasne District Chief Joe Lazore, Quebec Minister responsible for Native Affairs and MNA for Jacques-Cartier Geoffrey Kelley, Mayor Paola Hawa, Tree Canada president Michael Rosen and former MP/MNA Clifford Lincoln. In her opening remarks, Hawa said the plaque formally recognized the municipality’s native roots. “The (white pine’s) roots are growing on land where Mohawk footsteps existed long before (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue) existed,” she said. Hawa said people tend to forget what happened before the municipality was established as a parish in 1703. “We are on Indigenous land here,” Hawa said. “We talk about Old Montreal and its history a lot, but we forget that this part of the island has a very rich history as well.” The plaque’s inscription is in French and English as well as Kanien’kéha (translated by Callie Karihwiióstha Montour). It reads: “In the spirit of reconciliation this White Pine was planted in 2005 in honour of the Mohawk (Kanien’kehá:ka) nation on whose traditional territory Ste-Annede-Bellevue is situated. It was planted as part of a tree-planting project funded by Tree Canada. The White Pine is considered to be the Great Tree of Peace by the Mohawk people and it is hoped that its presence will contribute to stimulating peace and goodwill amongst all nations.” Kelley spoke of the plaque’s symbolism in terms of reconciliation. “Reconciliation is a series of small steps,” Kelley said during a reception following the inauguration. “This is an optimistic gesture. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission produced 94 calls to action. What I’ve seen across Quebec, is municipalities acting. Montreal put the white pine on its flag. In Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, this tree is a gesture of friendship and I think it is significant that the plaque is in three languages.” Lazore thanked the gathering for “recognizing our roots.” “It is a good way to start building a relationship and could lead to more (shared) projects,” he said. John Abbott College teacher and Ste-Anne town councillor Ryan Young launched the tree-planting project in 2005 after receiving a $10,000 TD Green Streets grant. The greening program was a collaboration between Tree Canada and the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation. Part of the project involved a cultural exchange with Kahnawake. Tree planters collaborated with the Kahnawake Environment Protection Office to plant trees at schools in its territory. And the white pine was planted at Kelso Park. Rosen said the white pine in Kelso Park could grow as high as 100 feet. He said the cultural exchange and tree-planting project was a perfect fit for Tree Canada. The organization has funded the planting of 82 million trees across Canada since 1992. Ryan said there are a growing number of Indigenous students attending John Abbott College and the trilingual plaque was one way for them to feel represented and welcomed. According to Iroquois legend, the history of the white pine — called the Iroquois Tree of Peace — took root as a result of the actions of a man named Dekanawidah — the peace keeper — who played a major role in the formation of the Five Nations Confederacy which historians think took place sometime in the 12th century. The confederacy was comprised of Mohawks; Oneidas; Onondagas; Cayugas and Senecas. “The white pine played a role in the settling of their constitution,” Young said. “(Dekanawidah) brought the tree of peace to replace the tree of war.”