Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill is off to Edmonton to speak at a Special Interlocutor Panel and had to end his time at the meeting on Tuesday night early. SNGR Councillor Nathan Wright stepped in to chair the meeting.
New Councillor Greg Frazer was sworn-in and took his oath of office following his victory in the by-election, replacing outgoing Wendy Johnson.
Fibre Optic Internet
Six Nations Cable operator Jeff Thomas says it will be 2-3 years until the all homes on Six Nations territory will be connected to his fibre optic internet lines. The first part of the line project will begin this fall and will see homes from Ohsweken down Fourth Line through to the Oneida Business Park connected to the high speed internet lines by Christmas.
Thomas was looking to council to help him secure additional financial backing for the project as they await funding to not delay any longer. SNGR committed to doing any political advocacy to advance the project.
Thomas said that he also reached out to the HCCC and HDI to get support for the project and says HDI lawyer Aaron Detlor was tasked by the chiefs to issue a letter of support for the project. Thomas says he has yet to receive that letter from Detlor.
Thomas also says that he is looking to bring in SixTel, another Six Nations wireless provider, in a partnership to provide wifi capabilities in the interim to see a Six Nations independent internet service provider with options.
Truth and Reconciliation activities
Orange Shirt Day activities will be held on Six Nations on September 30. Six Nations Communications Coordinator Caitlin Court spoke to SNGR Elected Council and presented the plans for this years activities.
This year will include a picnic, a drive thru event and a social media campaign. SNGR will partner with the Survivors Secretariat to provide an Orange Shirt Day Drive Thru Event where residents can receive a picnic pack giveaway along with a social medial campaign to raise awareness about Orange Shirt Day and the Six Nations community.
The Orange Shirt Day Drive Thru event will be held at the Oneida Business Park and starts on September 29, at 11:30 a.m..
The Picnic Packs being given away will include a picnic blanket, a grocery bag, cooler bag, herb starter kit to grow basil, rosemary or sage and an Every Child Matters Flag — limited to one per household.
Health Promotions will also include a healthy meal in the picnic packs.
The social media campaign is going to ask community to share photos on how they are raising awareness and honour survivors by using the hashtag #SNwearsorange.
Queen Elizabeth Day of Mourning
Councillor Hazel Johnson raised that September 19 will be a national holiday and day of mourning for the passing of HRH Queen Elizabeth II. Johnson was looking for confirmation on school closures, federal building and provincial building closures, etc.
SNGR SAO Darrin Jamieson said that the province was not observing the day as a holiday but acknowledged the long standing history between Six Nations and the Crown and said early discussions at council saw both pros and cons to acknowledging the day of mourning by closing schools and federal offices.
Elected councillors acknowledged that the community has a diverse perspective on the Queen’s passing, some acknowledging the history and looking to recognize the day while others looking to distance the community from celebrating the colonial system that oppressed and continues to oppress indigenous people in Canada. The council also discussed that some staff are non-indigenous and were looking to solutions to allow those employees who so wish to observe the Queen’s funeral service as it is televised. The decision was left to the SAO to formalize but council was in favour of providing an hour for employees to participate but not to close offices on that day.
