Funding Issues

It is an unsettling fact that Kahnawà:ke is 96% reliant on funding from Canada and Quebec to operate our community programs and services. It is also very concerning that the Federal Government (Canada) has been very active in reducing funding to First Nations in recent years. Here are some examples of Federal funding cutbacks in recent years:

• Kahnawake Education Center ($360,000)
• MCK Capital Works ($1,015,000)
• Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Cultural Center ($27,000)

In addition, the following Kahnawà:ke-based organizations have expressed a serious need for additional funding assistance in order to maintain existing program services:

• Karihwanoron Mohawk Immersion School
• Kahnawake Youth Center
• Skawenniio Tsi Iewennahnotahkhwa Kahnawake Library
• Kahnawake Fire Brigade
• Turtle Island Theatre

There are many other funding needs within our community that affect individual people in very serious ways. Whether it be the high cost of medical prescriptions for the elderly, lack of funding for job skills training, or a lack of affordable housing, the list of community needs is growing every year.

At the current time, the Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is utilizing reserve dollars to maintain programs and services. This will allow Kahnawà:ke to maintain services in the near-term, but this method of operating programs and services cannot continue forever.

As shown in the following graph, it is plain to see that the cost of maintaining existing programs (in this case the MCK's programs) has become a serious issue. Over the last two fiscal years, the MCK has had to use reserve dollars to maintain programs and services for our community. In plain words, program expenses are now greater than the amount available funds for these programs. Obviously this cannot continue on for a long period of time, as the dollars available within MCK reserves will eventually run out.

In chart form:

The trend is very clear, the Federal and Provincial governments will continue to scale down on First Nations funding as we move forward into the future. The Federal government has been very clear in its goal of having First Nations sustain themselves through "taxing" their own members personal incomes (just like non-native people). The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke has repeatedly stated that it will not implement such a tax regime in Kahnawà:ke. So this leaves only one other feasible option: we must sustain ourselves through economic activity. Without any doubt, the most successful and sustainable form of First Nations economic activity has been through gaming. There is no other industry that can come close to matching the financial success of the First Nations gaming industry over the last two decades.

For Kahnawà:ke to truly be independent of external governments, we must sustain ourselves economically and financially. Without question, land-based gaming (specifically casino operations) has been the most successful economic venture for First Nations to achieve financial stability, and in many cases, true financial independence.

Why a Casino?
Funding Issues
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