Katenies Support
Mar 21st, 2010 by admin
Katenies, Bear Clan, is Kanion’ke:haka/Mohawk from Akwesasne. She is a mother and a grandmother who works to carry out the Great Law responsibility to take care of the land for the future generations.
However, an official of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) recently described her as “lawless”. Katenies has questioned the authority of the Canadian courts, or any colonial courts and border officials, over Onkwehonwe (indigenous peoples) of Turtle Island.
She and her family — including her daughter and grandchildren — have been harassed by border officials, in various incidents that date back to 2003. To visit her daughter, Katenies needs to make a simple 2-minute drive, but that drive takes her through two provinces, one state, and two countries.
As recently as November 2006, Katenies was accused of running the border. Katenies’ current struggle occurs in the context of wider issues concerning the “border”, or what Onkwehonwe call “the imaginary line”. For example, there have been repeated attempts to introduce biometric “smart cards” into Mohawk communities.
Simply put, Katenies refuses to submit to colonial authorities, or abide by an imaginary line over her and her land. Katenies is not alone. A network is being established to support her and her jurisdictional challenge, through raising awareness about her case, and mobilizing for court support.
(text from No One Is Illegal website)