Kanesatake Health Center to acquire farmland
The Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) is in the final stages of buying the land occupied by Les Jardins de la Pinède – “gardens of the pine forest” – after the organic farming operation had to close because of financial difficulties.
According to KHC executive director Teiawenhniseráhte Tomlinson, the site will be used to fill a gap the health centre identified in its work to advance cultural revitalization and social health.
“It is impossible to make authentic and meaningful efforts in this direction without working to restore our people’s reciprocal familial bond with the natural world,” said Tomlinson. “As such, we needed land. Unfortunately, our existing land base under the colonial construct is very limited.”
The farm will be used for a land-based education project called “Tsonkwahtetionhátie - we are returning home,” and the purchase is being funded by a federal infrastructure grant that allows for the acquisition of off-reserve lands for service delivery in certain circumstances, Tomlinson said.
The Jardins de la Pinède farm is being liquidated as part of a bankruptcy. Tomlinson said the location was deemed suitable for the project because it was an organic farm and because of its location, connected to the Pines just outside the community’s boundary – only a “stone’s throw” from Rotiwennakéhte Elementary School.
“This was a golden opportunity that presented not only a land mass but existing infrastructure that could allow us to bring a vision to life,” said Tomlinson.
The purchase is expected to be finalized sometime this month.
The planned purchase first came to light when Les Jardins de la Pinède alluded to it in a farewell post to the farm’s clients announcing that the farm was unable to overcome its financial difficulties. The post said that the farm was being sold for a project by the community of Kanesatake, without specifying the health centre.
When this post was shared on Kanesatake’s community Facebook page, Tomlinson revealed the KHC’s intention to purchase the land. Some Kanehsata’kehró:non expressed concerns relating to land claims and taxation following the announcement.
According to Tomlinson, the land will no effect on land claims and for the time being does not constitute an addition to Kanesatake lands, a process that falls outside the scope of the operations of KHC, he said.
The health centre will have to pay property taxes on the land, he acknowledged, a measure he characterized as unjust but necessary for the time being.
“It is our firm position that as the Kanien’kehá:ka people of Kanesatake, our inherent right to occupy and use our homelands exists without the obligation to pay such taxes,” Tomlinson said. “That said, we are, however, aware of the potential consequences of non-compliance, including litigation or even the seizure of land, scenarios which would only serve to deepen the historical trauma our community faces.”
More details about the project will be released soon, according to Tomlinson.
“Our vision at KHC aims to merge contemporary health practices with our cultural legacy to ensure holistic well-being and cultural continuity. Through this latest initiative, we seek to address the community’s challenges, particularly those impacting our youth, and to revitalize our cultural identity, fostering a stronger, healthier Kanesatake,” he said.
marcus@easterndoor.com
Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door
