Family History

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.

Despite these external divisions, Akwesasne Mohawks consider this to be one single, sovereign community, and its residents to be members of the same family.

The Mohawks of Akwesasne are governed by three councils: the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne.  In spite of the international border that appears on maps as running directly through our territory, our people come and go as they please across the border with the knowledge that Akwesasne was here long before there even was a United States and Canada.

The Mohawks of Akwesasne are members of the traditional longhouse, the Roman Catholic Church, the Methodist Church and a number of other faiths. 

We are a diverse community of unique individuals who are unified by our respect and commitment to preserving the history, language and culture that defines us as a Mohawk community.

Since the establishment of the first permanent Mohawk village here in the 18th century, we have welcomed members of other aboriginal nations located from all over North America.  In addition, historians  have found the occasional ancestor of European, African or Asian descent.