Ellizabeth Nanticoke
Mohawk Council of Akwesasne
Great Lakes—St.Lawrence River
The St.Lawrence River flows through our territory. It is very important to the people of Akwesasne. We’ve depended on the river for food and travel. It connected us culturally, spiritually and traditionally to our territory.
Hydro dams were constructed very close to our territory which has had major impacts including loss of land through flooding, loss of species of fish (EEL & Salmon) and decrease of many others including sturgeon due to destruction of spawning areas. We also host many plants that are important to us such as medicinal plants and trees.
The river bed was dredged and the dredged spoils (clays) were placed on the lands where fruit trees grew along with other plants. When this happened, the plants couldn’t grow anymore.
The river was dredged so that ships could travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. As a result, there are many invasive species that occupy the river making it difficult for native species to survive.
Industry located along the river in neighboring towns. This included a paper mill, textile manufacturing, aluminum plant and a GM Powertrain plant. All of these facilities contributed to the contamination of the water & air. PCBs, mercury, fluoride and mirex were just a few of the contaminants that we had to contend with and they affected the health of the people, fish, plants, air, land and wildlife.
Its been a long fight, but the river is recovering. Many of manufacturing plants are closed and the remedial action plan was put in place to help deal with the major issues that affected the river.
Through everything that the river has gone through, we never stopped loving her. It’s important that people give thanks and acknowledge everything that exists in the natural world. We’re all, animals, waters, trees, plants, insects, everything on earth are related. We all live because our mother earth Mother Earth sustains us.
Today’s threats
• Transport of nuclear waste and other dangerous goods over the water;
• Oil and gas exploration in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence river;
• Even our own people, the ones who weren’t raised with traditional values, are destroying habitat by hardening the shoreline. |
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