Cemetery gate damaged in Kanesatake
The community was outraged to learn late last week that the iron gate to the Pine Hill Cemetery had been rammed by a vehicle, apparently a four-wheeler or side-by-side, according to the Perimeter Security Team.
The incident happened overnight on May 16, and without a culprit identified to hold accountable, it will fall on the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) to pay for the repair, according to MCK chiefs.
“Without any eyewitnesses, without testimony, I find it hard to believe it would be accidental,” said MCK chief Serge Otsi Simon. “Who would go and ram into that gate who has no business there? I’m sure it was just somebody who was too high or too drunk and they were trying to push their way in.”
According to Simon, it reflects a pattern of disrespect in the area, including at the cemetery itself. He recalls going to a ceremony there a couple years ago and seeing beer bottles and used condoms.
“Who in the hell goes and parties in the cemetery? It’s gotten disgusting,” he said.
“Those are our family members, and we should take more care of them, even when they’re gone.”
Simon said he would support having cameras at the cemetery to ensure people are held accountable for their actions. He also characterized the incident as just the latest sign of inadequate security dollars in Kanesatake.
“It’s always a lack of resources. The situation that we live through here is essentially the federal and provincial governments’ fault,” said Simon, one of the chiefs on the justice and policing portfolio.
According to MCK chief Brant Etienne, the lead on that portfolio, the incident happened sometime after the Perimeter Security Team’s final check of the evening.
Cameras are one option that could be considered, Etienne said, but he noted historically there is opposition relating to privacy concerns from some in the community.
“We have limited funds, and having CCTV or a surveillance system is very expensive, and if people are just going to go there and destroy it, is that something we can really afford to do?” he said.
The Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) also announced damaged infrastructure this week, with a car striking a shed that houses part of the septic and plumbing systems at the community building, requiring a temporary closure and interfering with KHC programming.
marcus@easterndoor.com
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door
