Akwesasne resident loses band job over letter pledging to be "idle no more"
A Mohawk woman says she lost a band job to run the community’s arena after the local newspaper ran one of her letters to the editor which said she would be “idle no more” over a long-running land dispute with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
(Akwesasne resident Laura Morris holds up letter from senior band official and Indian Time newspaper edition with her letter to the editor. APTN/Photo)
By Jorge Barrera
APTN National New
A Mohawk woman says she lost a band job to run the community’s arena after the local newspaper ran one of her letters to the editor which said she would be “idle no more” over a long-running land dispute with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.
An experienced hand in managing athletic events, Laura Morris said she was verbally offered the job of managing the community’s indebted arena, but it was yanked away from her because band officials determined she wouldn’t be “loyal” enough.
“I am trying to take this day by day. This was a very difficult thing for me,” said Morris. “I have lost sleep over it.”
Morris said the job was taken away from her as a result of a letter to the editor she wrote about a 15 year-old grievance with the band over her mother’s certificate of possession for a piece of property that was transferred to a son after her death.
“I wanted them to know and remember what happened and go through how long I have been waiting,” said Morris. “It kind of prompted me with Idle No More and what is happening with Aboriginal people everywhere.”
Morris said there are about 200 land disputes in Akwesasne that follow similar patterns and the band council has failed to deal with them.
Morris’ letter to the editor was in response to an earlier published missive issued by another family, the Whites, over their own outstanding land issue that ran under the headline “Idle No More In House.” The letter called on Akwesasne to solve the land dispute issues internally.
“Idle No More in house is a beginning for us to resolve our own problems. We can do this by inviting people together in community discussions without any interference from the outside or MCA,” said the letter signed by Robert White, Nelson David White, Carl White and Harold White.
Akwesasne sits about 120 kilometres west of Montreal.
Morris said on Feb. 4 she received confirmation by phone from a band human resources official that she had scored the highest of all the candidates and would be given the job. Then, two weeks later, she was called in to meet with the band’s executive director, Sheree Bonaparte, who handed her a letter informing her that the job was no longer hers.
“Although you did very well in the competition and ranked highly in your interview for the position, subsequent events have led us to conclude that you are not suitable as an employee of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne,” read the Feb. 19 dated letter signed by Bonaparte.
In the letter Bonaparte refers to Morris’ previous 2006 decision to resign from a band job over a long-running dispute over the transfer of her mother’s property. Morris said at the time that she was having difficulty “being a loyal employee” as a result of the dispute over the land with the band.
Bonaparte then zeroed in on a letter Morris wrote to the Indian Time newspaper that was published on Jan. 31.
“You specifically mentioned an MCA department charging them with ‘fraud and error and even ignorance and incompetence,'” wrote Bonaparte. “You threatened ‘I will not stay idle no more.'”
The letter then said that because Morris couldn’t be “loyal,” she couldn’t have the job.
“Making allegations of fraud, threats and calling the MCA ignorant is not behaviour consistent with employment with the MCA,” wrote Bonaparte.
Akwesasne Mohawk Council did not return a request for comment.
Morris maintains she bought the land in question and has affidavits to prove it. She also jointly held a band-issued loan for a house constructed on the property with her mother. Despite this, the band transferred the certificate of possession to her brother based on their mother’s will.
Morris, however, said the will did not include the property and maintains that the certificate of possession was transferred to her brother through “fraud and error” that needs to be rectified.
Morris said her mother never intended to have the property transfer to her sons.
“She knew that the land was mine,” she said.
On paper, Morris appeared to have been the perfect candidate for the arena manager job. At the request of a district chief, she organized the Iroquois Nations Cup lacrosse tournament last September three weeks before its scheduled start.
“They couldn’t find anyone to coordinate it,” said Morris. “They knew in 2012 when they agreed to host it in Akwesasne and they couldn’t find anyone to run it.”
Morris has also worked with the International Women’s Hockey Federation and was involved with the World Junior Hockey Championship when it was held in Ottawa back in 2010.
She also obtained a diploma with honours in 1993 for recreation facilities managment through an Algonquin College course that was sponsored by the band. None of the eight people that graduated from the band-sponsored program ever managed to run the arena.
“I thought, finally, after 20 years, they got the right person,” said Morris.
@JorgeBarrera
It is not mentioned that a respected Elder in the Community sold the land in question to Laura and that he swore a statement to that fact and it was disputed by Council. In that dispute it put that Elders good name in disrepute. This is also not the only fraud at Akwesasne.
they seem to not want her to succeed. she is qualified to manage any sports complex. I wish the big leagues would recognize her and then hire her.
Laura Morris MCA brags about being transparent and giving the people the right to bring a law suit against them. Idle no more and hold MCA accountable for their actions. You should sue them for breach of contract and try to have it removed to an outside forum due to conflict of interest. A verbal agreement should stand.
So…even in Indian Country we have Harper type regimes that will use their authority to crush, punish, and oppress citizens who question or challenge their political leaders? Way-to-show the world your colours Akwesasne… Be loyal to me or stay unemployed. Idle No More – not just about the Canadian Governments.