YOUR VEHICLE COULD BE SEIZED!

During the past few weeks, some residents of Akwesasne have had their vehicles seized at other ports of entry. If you have not been reporting regularly to the port of entry at Cornwall, be aware that your vehicle may be seized at another port.

LOUISE THOMPSON, KAWEHNOKE DISTRICT CHIEF CANDIDATE

Louise Thompson is a lifelong resident of Kawehnoke and is married to Darryl Thompson. Louise was the sixth living child born to the late Annie Leaf and Bernard Thompson. Her sibllings are Joan Mitchell, Margie Francis Thompson, Mary Hopkinson, Linda Jackson, Gerald (Washington) and Sandra Isaac. Two brothers, Ronnie and Frank,, have gone to the spirit world. She is the mother of Andrea, Kody, Ashley, Tia and Dacey. She also has 9 grandchildren and is expecting a tenth.

Louise and her husband Darryl are the current managers of CT's store on St. Regis Road. They maintain the business for the convenience of their neighbors and have developed a clientele.

Maintaining the language and culture is important to Louise. She is a fluent Mohawk speaker as are four of her grandchildren.

Louise attended primary school on Kawehnoke, East Front in Cornwall and graduated from General Vanier Secondary School.

She has worked in Ottawa counseling natives from the north. She was then transferred to Indian Affairs. The program she worked for provided funding for cultural centers. The Traveling College obtained funding from this program and asked her to work for them. Louise has also worked for the Mohawk Indian Housing Corporation for the tribe. She was a needs assessment surveyor and became a certified Low Income Housing Manager.

For the past twenty years Louise has worked for MCA in various capacities. She has been a Co-ordinator of the Aboriginal Law and Security Program where she co-ordinated student activities. She is currently the Justice Co-ordinator for MCA and is a certified Mohawk Language translator.

During her work career, Louise managed to raise her five children and her nine grandchildren. Throughout her life, from many elders, Louise learned her history, language and culture. This vast knowledge has been passed on to her children and grandchildren. She and her family are members of the Longhouse.

Volunteerism is another quality that Louise has. She is curently on the Board of Directors for the Ronontahoni Cultural Center. She also volunteers with her family in cooking for funerals.

She is also a member of the Appeal Board for Legal Aid for the local area. She is a member of Neh Kanikonrio Council (Council of God Mind). This is a diversion program where an offender goes to get sentenced rather than the provincial court system. She is a certified mediator.

One of her role models was her Uncle Frank Leaf who was once on council for the band. He had a strong voice and believed in keeping our nationhod. The people in previous councils were committed and this is something that Louise wil bring to Akwesasronon, if she is elected.

Her mother taught her that you need to know your history and your roots to know who you are. Although her mother was a strict Catholic, she told her children to go to the longhouse to learn about who they were as a people.

With this background, experience and knowledge, Louise would make an excellent chief for the district of Kawehnoke and is keen to serve all of the community of Akwesasne.

 VOTE LOUISE THOMPSON FOR CHANGE FOR KAWEHNOKE DISTRICT CHIEF

VICTOR MARTIN CANDIDATE FOR KAWENOKE DISTRICT CHIEF

Victor Martin is a resident of Kawenoke and has previously participated in Mohawk Council of Akwesasne elections. He was a candidate in the district of Kanatakon when he was a resident of Kanatakon.

Victor is the son of Alexander and Priscilla Martin and is currently a student in the Emergency Medical Technician Program. He is the brother of Geraldine Gray, Kallen Martin and Sally Martin.

He completed his secondary education at Massena High School. His post-secondary education was done at Canton ATC and Clarkson University. He obtained a bachelors degree in accounting from Clarkson and also obtained a masters degree in industrial management. Victor has also spent two years in the seminary.

Victor has worked for Revenue Canada as a sales tax auditor and upon his return to Akwesasne established his own tax preparation and accounting business. He is also a former director of Health Services for the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe. Victor has held different positions within the organization of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.

Volunteering in the Akwesasne Community has always been the back bone of Victor's life. He has shown a keen interest in local politics and with his life experiences and his educational background, that he would have a positive influence towards elevating the quality of life for the community of Kawenoke.

Victor has assisted an elder in the community in getting his vehicle from CBSA at Dundee.

Your vehicle may be seized at another port of entry if you have not been reporting to the port in cornwall.

VOTE FOR CHANGE! VOTE FOR VICTOR MARTIN!

CANDIDATES

Bios of other candidates for Kawenoke District Chief will be posted as soon as possible.

Joyce Gaspe accepted her nomination today and an article about her was posted today.

Anyone interested in assisting in the campaign is asked to contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and leave your contact information.

We need to get out to get people to vote, issues in Akwesasne should not be decided by a handful of people. You have a voice, let's hear it!