Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I guess our land base is key here. I mentioned earlier that 85% is privately owned. If we're looking at a territory that is only 15% owned by the “common”, I guess is the word, there's not much room for movement. We really need expansion. You know, Kahnawake will never expropri

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Keep in mind that Mohawks are a matrilineal and matriarchal society, so everything is the women—landholders, everything. They elect the chiefs. They do everything in the traditional way of living. So we don't have much to say or do—

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  —but just to listen and abide.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  As per Indian Affairs studies, we have eight documented contaminated sites within that 24-square mile radius, which is Kahnawake. I don't know if it's the reality, but people say that in North America it's one of the highest concentrations of contaminated soil in any community. I

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  On an active level, Kahnawake owns MIT, Mohawk Internet Technologies. We're not part of the gambling aspect of MIT, but we own the facility. It's kind of like we own an airport, but we're not charging Delta and Air Canada to fly in and out—it's solely rents. I believe it's a litt

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  They're night and day.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  For Kahnawake—or Tioweroton, as we call it—is owned I guess by Kahnawake and also Kanesatake.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I guess we're both under the title. In Tioweroton, there's no electricity. There's no running water. It's camping, living in the bush—Shangri-La, if you ask me. You can't beat it. You can't beat it. It's a way of life that I guess our people once had and that we no longer have

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes. It's an hour's drive up north from Kahnawake, in the Laurentians, and it's just beautiful. There are waterfalls, kids swimming in the creek and walking around barefoot, and people helping and respecting each other. It's just a way of life that—

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You can hunt moose and deer —it's all there. It's all there....

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Not to my knowledge.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There was the band council of the day. I believe it was 1972. But you have to keep in mind that Kahnawake was a totally different place in 1972. I mean, back in '72, kids were still walking around barefoot because people didn't have things—you know what I mean? It was a differe

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'm sorry—

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  There's a lack of dollars. We're talking of a lot of money to have an assessment done. We're hoping that maybe Ottawa will kick in dollars, because as I said, the minister is a signatory of the lease, and I guess that would be part of the problem in terms of environmental account

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'll hand it off to my technician. She's been involved with the land unit for a lot longer than I have.