Tag Archives: Mohawk

Mohawk Identity in Kahnawake

The debate over Mohawk identity in Kahnawake in Montreal, Canada was not on my radar until I watched the documentary Club Native, which I liked so much.  I’ve recently read several articles about this issue (thanks to posts by Kendra Kennedy on H-AMINDIAN@H-NET.MSU.EDU) which I’m linking to below.

A potential reversal of the “second generation cut-off” rule which limits interracial Mohawk membership to the grandchildren of Mohawk male and non-Mohawk female unions could result in a doubling of the population in Kahnawake and has set off a flurry of eviction notices to mixed race couples. Although the above regulation seems to favor Mohawk men who partner with non-Mohawk women, one of the articles notes that even young Mohawk men are raised knowing that if they marry out, they will be made to move out. Although the idea of evicting mixed race couples or denying Mohawk identity to children of mixed unions seems inhumane and extreme, and although some Mohawks argue that the evictions are culturally incongruous since outsiders have historically been allowed to integrate into Mohawk culture, the issue is problematized by internal fears that the space and rights that Mohawks have as a group will be undermined as more and more non-Mohawks are allowed to live in Kahnawake. This battle is sad, especially having watched Club Native and the effect that these measures of exclusivity which are based on blood quantum and not other more authentic expressions of identity, has had on various people, including those who are so commited to maintaining Mohawk culture. The entire debate is also really interesting in terms of trying to pin down a sometimes nebulous label like identity which is defined in different ways by different people. I’m currently working on my thesis which discusses native dress as an aspect of identity and it’s really interesting to see the ways that clothing’s significance changes even within a given historical period and how contemporary events influence these changes. The historical nature of these types of debates are also instructive. One of the articles notes that these evictions have had occured sporadically in the past, going all the way back to at least the late 19th century. Were these types of panics resurface each time native rights were perceived to be threatened? Really interesting and difficult questions.

Hubert Bauch. “Kahnawake band council meddles in people’s love lives, critics charge,” The Montreal Gazette. February 9, 2010.

Cornacchia, Cheryl. “’If you marry out, you move out’; Evictions; Couples ‘should have known better’.” The Montreal Gazette. February 11, 2010.

Hoss, Fabrice. “Mohawks kick non-aboriginals off lands in Quebec.” Taiwan News. March 3, 2010.

“Mohawk tribe evicts non-natives.” Public Radio International. March 8, 2010.

“Federal law could boost population, add tension on Quebec reserve.” Canwest News Service, March 23, 2010.

Club Native

Happy New Year folks! Comps. exam done and I’m back.

Only 10 months after I saw it at the 2009 Native American Film Festival at the NMAI in NYC, here is my summary of Club Native. In short: I thought it was a great film and highly recommend it!

Club Native traces the lives of four women and their relationship to their Mohawk identity. In order to obtain membership within their nation, two of the women must go before a council which uses Canada’s law regarding blood quantum as one of the factors in deciding whether they are to remain enrolled members. The transparency and fairness of the council comes into question and we hear the women’s compelling stories – why their bi-raciality does not make them any less Mohawk, except to some.

The other two women are in danger of losing membership not because of their blood quantum but due to their marriage partners – white men. The laws related to Mohawk women “marrying out” are not the same as they are for Mohawk men. Consequently, there is more pressure on women to  marry in or relinquish membership to their community. I remember that the few people who seemed to be in favor of this status quo in the film were Mohawk men and I was curious as to why there was so much emphasis on marrying Mohawk men and not the other way around. That was one aspect of the film that I needed more clarity about.

The director, Tracey Deer, does a great job throughout but these two women’s stories are even more compelling. This may have to do partly with the fact that one of the women is Deer’s sister and we get a very intimate access to her life. And when I say intimate, I mean it: we see the birth of her child! There are many points in the film when I teared up and got goosebumps or laughed – as though these were people I knew. That’s how close you got. So, I think Deer is a really great director just based on that (she doubtless has gotten confirmation of this from all over but it was nice to see one of the men during the Q&A say that she has blossomed into a great filmmaker; Deer identified the man as someone from her community so it was an extra touching moment). But when that girl had her baby on film, I loved her (the sister is very endearing for  her warm and funny ways) more for the honor of being able to see such a private moment. The other woman was an athlete who competed in the Olympics when she was younger and had even been featured on a high profile publication (Newsweek or Time). She was active politically both as a youngster and still is now. All the women were remarkable in their own way. Very poignant documentary – loved it.

For those of you interested, I found a related essay: Simpson, Audra.  “Paths Toward a Mohawk Nation: Narratives of Citizenship and Nationhood in Kahnawake.” In Political Theory and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, edited by Duncan Ivison, Paul Patton and Will Sanders, 113-136. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. It’s pretty academic but it also contains some short narratives about how issues related to blood quantum affects Mohawks.