Mohawk Nation News 'Something for Nothing'

Mohawk Nation News 'Something for Nothing'

Is Kahnawake Mohawk Community being Las Vegas’ized? Who’s trying to eat our brains, to get us to produce a get-something-for-nothing society?  A casino will affect almost every aspect of our lives. Jealousy, competition and gluttony should not rule our culture or economy. Why live unnaturally and unequally, beyond our means? We should be strengthening our family and community ties, producing our own energy and food and keeping the soon-to-be desperate foreign interests out. Coming is hunger instead of plenty, cold instead of warmth, violence instead of peace. To survive we have to take care of each other.  Many of us elders remember the modest and meaningful life we once had. The men went away to do ironwork and the women and children stayed home and took care of our community.  Having worked in an Indian casino, the harm is easy to see. The house always wins. The work force will be mostly non-natives. Many of us don’t qualify for jobs due to our backgrounds, non-criminal records and not speaking French.A larger police force is being trained, armed to the teeth, directed from the outside.  Their main job is to protect the casino, employees, management, patrons and financial interests and to keep us quiet.  Disputes will be decided in colonial courts.What are we giving up?  Our children’s birthright?  The Seigneury lands for a casino?  Whose nest is being feathered? We need complete honest answers now about how the palms of Quebec, Ottawa, outsiders and their nominees in our community palms are being greased. No doubt our income and winnings will be taxed.  What kinds of people will be traversing our lands, looking for who and bringing in what?  The worst of society shall come.We are promised $1000 a year. Once we take this, we are agreeing to this invasion. There is no accountability. Who are the financiers?  What collateral or property are we putting up for the loan?  Those of our grandchildren who will be born into the debt and turned into corporate Indians of Canada.       This venture doesn’t make sense. The demographics don’t add up.  Worse, our people could become habitual gamblers, gambling our lives away.  It’s part of the Indian Affairs 100-year plan to get “rid of the Indian problem," to enrich a few and keep the rest poor.  The divide and conquer card is still in play since 1609 when Champlain dealt it from the bottom of the deck.