AkKahwatsi:re
Genealogy and historical society
Funding is provided by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Community Partnership Fund and Mohawk Council of Akwesasne Community Fund.
2026 Heritage Fair
Fire and Ice: Akwesasne in the late 19th Century
February 27, 2026
10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
SRMT Community Services Building
850 State Route 37, Meeting Rooms
Informational Tables
AKGHS Genealogical Research : Resources for Genealogy Research for Mohawk Ancestors - Ellison King, Researcher
AKGHS Research Projects: The 1902 Kansas Applications and Charles Cook Papers - Aimee Benedict
AKGHS Photo Scanning Project: Digitizing your family photos - Julie Jacobs
SRMT Tribal Historic Preservation Office - Protecting your Important Documents from Fire and Ice - Lillian Benedict-Barton
Bombay Historical Society - works to preserve and protect local historical sites. such as two remaining covered bridges, the East Bombay Covered Bridge and the West Bombay Covered Bridge. Also active in the preservation of the local cemetery, the Bombay Cemetery, and other historic sites in the town.
Westville Historical Society - collection of historical artifacts, documents, and photographs related to the history of Constable and the surrounding areas., including the lives of the early settlers, the development of the town, and its role in the American Revolution.
Cornwall Historical Society - devoted to preserving, protecting, and sharing all aspects of the Cornwall and United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry’s history and heritage.
Ft. Covington Historical Society - Preserves its collective memory, from which members enrich their lives, refresh their sense of direction, and teach their children.
10:00 a.m. Opening
10:15 a.m. Welcome by Tom Cook, President
10:30 a.m. Darren Bonaparte, Director, SRMT Tribal Historic Preservation Office
Newspaper Coverage of the 1899 Election Riot and the Shooting of John Ice
Abstract: Several newspapers sent reporters to Akwesasne to cover both the election riot of March 27 and the shooting of John Fire, also known as Jake Ice. They came from Cornwall, Ottawa, and Montreal. A paragraph about the shooting even appeared in the New York Times. Many of the people who were involved in the events shared their perspective with reporters. Although there is some variation from person to person, they paint a vivid and unforgettable picture of what took place.
11:30 a.m. Nicole White
1:00 p.m. Mike Mitchell
2:00 p.m. Phillip White-Cree
3:00 p.m. Closing
What we do
EXPLORE YOUR ROOTS
The Kahwatsi:re Akwesasne & Genealogy & Historical Society holds a family tree database with over 10,000 names with some families dating back to the 1500s. We have access to search the St. Regis Catholic Church records, Kansas Applications from the early 1900s, published obituaries many other resources.
Our FAMILY FIRE
Akwesasne is a Mohawk word that means “place of partridges.” Located on the St. Lawrence River at the 45th parallel, it is where the countries of Canada and the United States; the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and the state of New York come together.
Native voices
The Native Voices series was aired in 1978 and 1979 with host Louie Cook and stories told by Ray Fadden on WSLU (St. Lawrence University) radio. Funding to digitize, edit and air segments was provided by Onaway Trust and Plenty International.
Tune in to CKON 97.3 FM and Karennaon:we 87.9 FM Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m. and repeated on Tuesday evenings at 8:30 p.m.
Conservation as the Indian Saw It - 12/20/2021
Contemporary Iroquois Stories - 12/27/2021
Iroquois Hats and Bear Story - 01/03/2022
Migration of the Iroquois - 01/10/2022
Haudenosaunee History - 01/17/2022
Iroquois Lesson Stories - 01/24/2022
Native American Contributions to Society - 01/31/2022
You are on Indian Land - Part 1 (Contributions) - 02/07/2022
You are on Indian Land - Part 2 (Stereotypes) - 02/14/2022
You are on Indian Land - Part 3 (Songs and Dance) - 02/21/2022
Little People and Great Bear - (02/28/2022)
Insight into the history
Video series featuring Society Board Members discussing some of the history and projects being undertaken.