Author Topic: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois  (Read 9684 times)

Offline educatedindian

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Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« on: July 14, 2016, 02:07:19 am »
Surprisingly, they have not been mentioned before.

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http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/the-mikinaks-call-themselves-quebecs-newest-aboriginal-community-others-are-calling-them-a-fraud
BEAUHARNOIS, Que. — The suburban bungalow southwest of Montreal has a kiddie pool out back and a three-wheel Slingshot motorcycle in the carport. From the outside, it does not look like a nerve centre of aboriginal activism.

But inside, Lise Brisebois takes a break from her duties running a home daycare — it’s nap time — to don her feathered headband and discuss the battle she is leading as chief of what is touted as Quebec’s newest aboriginal community.

“I just want to be respected,” Brisebois said. “I’m not a savage. I’m an Indian.”

She said her grandmother was an Algonquin forced to change her family name from Canard Blanc (White Duck) to Leblanc. She hopes the days when people hid their aboriginal lineage to avoid racism are over.


As chief of the Mikinaks, Brisebois is fighting for recognition of her Indian status and that of the nearly 400 members who have joined since January. Membership costs $80 and is open to those who can provide genealogical evidence of at least one aboriginal ancestor at some point in the past.

As the community grows — Brisebois expects to have 800 members by the end of the year — and becomes more vocal in its demands, it has attracted the ire of the Kahnawake Mohawks, whose reserve is just 20 kilometres away from Beauharnois.

Joe Norton, grand chief of the Kahnawake Mohawks, has labelled the Mikinaks a fraud and questioned their motives.

“They go in and they recruit those who have no idea really what they’re getting involved in, have no idea what it is to be part of the struggle,” Norton said.

“It concerns me because in the future, when it comes to settling land issues, hopefully they are not going to be part of that.”

Already the Mikinaks have created friction with attempts to use status cards issued by the Confederation of Aboriginal Peoples. The official-looking photo IDs declare that the holder is “an aboriginal within the meaning of the article 35 of the Constitution Act of Canada” and as such is entitled to exercise aboriginal hunting, fishing, trapping and trade rights.

Researchers have found that between half and three-quarters of all Quebecers have at least one aboriginal ancestor, suggesting that the potential pool of Mikinak members could number in the millions. Brisebois said there is no limit to how far back in the family tree an aboriginal ancestor could be.

“Even if it’s eight generations back, that’s OK,” she said. “The most important thing is that you feel it inside you.”

I just want to be respected. I’m not a savage. I’m an Indian.
Norton said he has no problem with people taking pride in aboriginal heritage, but he worries that some are simply seeking a way to avoid paying sales tax at local stores.

“Don’t go running all over the place using that so-called card,” he said. “Don’t even bother getting the card. Just say, ‘This is who I am,’ and be proud of it.”

Daniel Connell received his card last month after showing that his great-grandmother was aboriginal — Mi’kmaq, he believes.

“It at least recognized my aboriginal roots. Everyone has their history, and this is part of our history,” he said. He also hopes it might lead to a break on the cost of his daughter’s university education.

But according to the federal Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, that could be a long shot. Department spokeswoman Valérie Haché said the cards issued to Mikinaks — the name is Algonquin for turtle — “do not convey Indian status, nor do they confer rights and benefits linked explicitly to registered Indians.” She said the Mikinak community is not a band recognized under the Indian Act.

Brisebois, 57, is not about to give up the fight. Her home is decorated with portraits of aboriginal heroes, from the Mohawk saint Kateri Tekakwitha to Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. “Everything is Indian here,” said her husband, Gilles Gagné, who himself discovered late in life that he had an aboriginal ancestor six generations back.

Being chief of an unrecognized community is not easy. Her headband came from a Montreal boutique that’s main business is in Asian crafts, and she found the aboriginal guardian figure hanging by her door at a flea market.

Brisebois, who is seeking to legally change her family name to Canard Blanc, has learned from her Mohawk neighbours in Kahnawake, famous for their protest tactics.

After the local Costco in Candiac refused to honour the Mikinak ID cards, she thought of the results Mohawks obtained by blockading highways.

She said she told the manager, “If I come to your store with 200 members, and you don’t accept our card, and we go block everything, what would you think of that?” Costco insists it is respecting the law by not granting tax exemptions to Mikinak members, but the company has agreed to meet Brisebois next week.

Brisebois said she called off a protest planned for Saturday so she can “negotiate” with Costco. “I’m not angry,” she said, “but it’s an injustice.”

Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2016, 05:35:34 pm »
http://www.akwesasne.ca/node/808
______________________________


Mohawk Council Of Akwesasne Does Not Recognize Newly Formed "Mikinak Tribe"


Ohiarihko:wa/ July 13, 2016

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has been informed that a newly formed group named the “Mikinak Tribe,” is fighting for the recognition of their members as Status Indians. This self-identified group, which is based out of Beauharnois, Quebec, seems to have ulterior motives that are money driven, and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne does not recognize or support this group as a First Nation Community.

During a radio interview on July 8, 2016 with the K103 Partyline Talkshow, Guillaume Carle, who identifies himself as the National Grand Chief and National Spiritual Elder of the Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada, noted that he was “a warrior from Akwesasne,” and that he had “approached Akwesasne,” and is “working together (with Akwesasne).” Additionally, in a June 29, 2016 interview with APTN, there is a nameplate that clearly displays Grand Chief of Akwesasne during a “Mikinak Tribe” meeting.

Grand Chief of Akwesasne Abram Benedict notes that “the Mikinak tribe has not approached the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne nor do we have any affiliation with them. This self-identified group seems to be claiming to be a Status Indian in order for tax exemption and money-driven motives.”

Lise Brisebois, a “Chief” of the “Mikinak Tribe,” has threatened businesses in Candiac, Quebec that if their members are refused to honour the Mikinak ID Cards, they could potentially blockade the highways, according to an article that was printed by the National Post on July 7, 2016.

Dennis Chaussi, District Chief of Kawehno:ke for the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, articulates that this identifies how the group “is attempting to benefit themselves by utilizing Indian Status. Members of Akwesasne are very passionate about our background and heritage, and the ‘Mikinak Tribe’ is making a mockery out of First Nations Groups that have fought for their people, their culture and their inherent rights for hundreds of years.”

In order for an individual to become a member of the “Mikinak Tribe,” they have to pay $80 and show proof of their “Indian Gene,” regardless of how far back it is in their ancestry, according to Carle.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada noted in the APTN interview “while these cards convey membership to an organization, they do not convey Indian Status.”

Grand Chief Abram Benedict also added, “While Council appreciates the support of any organization or individuals that backs First Nations Inherent Rights, this group is only trying to benefit themselves -not true First Nations people.”

______________________________
http://www.akwesasne.ca/node/808




Offline Defend the Sacred

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2016, 05:56:47 pm »
http://kahnawake.com/news/pr/pr07132016a.pdf
_________________________________________

Tsi Nahò:ten Karihwanákere Nó:nen’k
PRESS RELEASE

MCK sends letter to Indigenous Affairs denouncing Mikinak of Beauharnois & Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada

For Immediate Release
(Kahnawake –13, Ohiarihkó:wa/ July 2016)

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke wishes to inform the community that a letter has been sent to the Ministers of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) and Justice Canada in regards to a group of people referring to themselves as the 'Mikinak of Beauharnois,' who have proclaimed to be a territorial First Nation. The group appears to be closely aligned with the 'Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada' spearheaded by Guillaume Carle.

The purpose of the letter is to officially convey Kahnawà:ke's condemnation of this unrecognized group and their claims over traditional Mohawk Territory, and to request that Canada intervene and quash the fraudulent misrepresentations being made by this group and immediately cease any engagement with these types of illegitimate groups.

A similar letter will also be sent to the Premier of Quebec to raise attention to the danger this has on the agreement for Kahnawa’kehró: non tax exemption at point of sale. Canada and Quebec both stand to lose tax revenues from such fraudulent taxation benefits.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is prepared to work collaboratively with the Federal Government to determine a course of action that ensures the title and rights of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke are protected from the encroachment of fraudulent groups such as the Mikinak and Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada," said Grand Chief Joe Tokwiro Norton. "We implore Canada to take swift and meaningful action to put a stop to these fraudulent groups before the situation grows any more contentious."

_________________________________________
http://kahnawake.com/news/pr/pr07132016a.pdf

Offline milehighsalute

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #3 on: November 16, 2017, 04:56:54 pm »
talking to some girl in canada

she said they got huge overnight with wannabes and they pay 80 bucks for "enrollment"

from how she explained they are exploiting canadian loopholes similar to US 501c tribes

i have no problem with the fact that they were IMMEDIATELY moved to fraud section

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2018, 03:01:32 pm »
http://muskratmagazine.com/rampant-settler-self-indigenization-poses-threat-indigenous-peoples/
In an alarming new research paper, titled “White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere”, Gaudry and Leroux describe the tendency for Canadians to identify as Indigenous based on distant ancestors uncovered through genealogical records. This process, which disregards kinship and the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples is referred to as ‘settler self-Indigenization’. The authors also identify several self-identified “Métis” organizations which have sprung up in areas where no Métis communities were historically present. These organizations have replicated colonialism by advocating publicly against the rights and interests of local Indigenous peoples....

The Mikinak “Tribe” is perhaps the most glaring example of this phenomenon. Comprised primarily of French-Canadians, members of this colonial construction need only show that they have some form of Indigenous ancestry. The organization caused friction with nearby Indigenous communities by threatening to erect blockades until Costco was persuaded to offer tax breaks to members.

The Métis Nation, in particular, has found itself assailed by rampant settler self-Indigenization. The 2016 census revealed explosive growth in the self-identified Métis population. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick witnessed 900 and 450 percent growth rates in the number of self-identified Métis people. These demographically impossible growth rates reveal that Métis identity is being appropriated on an industrial scale. Much of the confusion stems from organizations which promote loose conceptions of Métis identity. The Métis Federation of Canada (MFC), for example, does not require prospective members to demonstrate any form of Métis ancestry. In doing so, the MFC dismisses the unique historical process through which Métis Nation arose. MFC and similar organizations denigrate Métis peoplehood which arose in the Métis homeland....

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2018, 12:47:34 am »
She's left the group and is now making vague claims of persecution.

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/fake-indian-founder-of-self-proclaimed-mikinak-indigenous-
'Fake Indian': Founder of self-proclaimed Mikinak Indigenous group harassed over status card
Lise Brisebois no longer with group, but says she's had threats after receiving Indian status card

Jaela Bernstien · CBC News · Posted: May 18, 2018 6:07 PM ET | Last Updated: May 18

The former chief of the Mikinaks, a self-proclaimed Indigenous community that gained infamy in 2016, is now fending off threats and online harassment because she's received Indian status.

Lise Brisebois said all she wants is peace, but her notoriety for founding the so-called Mikinak community makes it difficult to escape attention.

Earlier this month, she learned that someone had shared a photo of her status card on Facebook, ridiculing her.

?"They say that I'm not an Indian. That I'm a fake Indian," Brisebois said.

"I had to disconnect my home phone because I was receiving threats ... And they write me privately [on Facebook] and they call me all sorts of names."

When Brisebois read one comment suggesting that someone should "finish her," she said she reported it to the Kahnawake Peacekeepers.

"I said I want it to stop. I want them to stop saying mean things to me."

Brisebois first grabbed headlines in 2016 when she founded the Mikinaks, under the Confederation of Aboriginal Peoples of Canada.

At the time, Montreal-area Mohawk leaders blasted the new group, calling it "nothing but lies" and an attempt to evade taxes.

Brisebois said she later severed ties with the group, and no longer calls herself their chief.

"I have had a lot of heartache. And now it's anger," Brisebois told CBC News, saying she was fooled into trusting the wrong people.

Brisebois closed that chapter, but continued to pursue her status.

"Why is it important to have my status? It's not just for me. It's for my ancestors too, so that they'll be recognized."

She said her grandmother's first husband was Indigenous, but when he died and she remarried a non-Indigenous man, her grandmother lost her status.

This fall, when Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada recognized that lineage, Brisebois found herself in the middle of controversy once again.

Though Brisebois says her background is Algonquin, the government registered her on the band list of the Mohawk community of Kanesatake — just west of Montreal — because her grandparents apparently once lived in the area.

It's a decision that Ottawa has no right to make, according to Grand Chief of the Mohawk Council of Kanesatake.

"The federal government, in its paternalistic policies, is determining who is a member of my community. Instead of us doing that for ourselves," said Grand Chief Serge Simon.

Simon said the Mikinaks threaten his community's membership, culture and standing in the world.

"These are not native people with a little non-native blood. These are non-natives, with just a little bit of native blood. There's a difference," Simon said....


Offline Sparks

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2020, 04:40:29 pm »
http://www.akwesasne.ca/node/808 Mohawk Council Of Akwesasne Does Not Recognize Newly Formed "Mikinak Tribe"

That link now yields "404: Page not found", and searching the domain does not give any hits. I found the exact quote here:

http://www.ilrtoday.ca/mohawk-council-of-akwesasne-does-not-recognize-newly-formed-mikinak-tribe/

Offline Sparks

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2020, 01:22:49 am »
http://muskratmagazine.com/rampant-settler-self-indigenization-poses-threat-indigenous-peoples/
In an alarming new research paper, titled “White Settler Revisionism and Making Métis Everywhere”, Gaudry and Leroux describe the tendency for Canadians to identify as Indigenous based on distant ancestors uncovered through genealogical records. This process, which disregards kinship and the lived experiences of Indigenous peoples is referred to as ‘settler self-Indigenization’. The authors also identify several self-identified “Métis” organizations which have sprung up in areas where no Métis communities were historically present. These organizations have replicated colonialism by advocating publicly against the rights and interests of local Indigenous peoples …

As noted at the end of that article, these are the sources, well worth reading (downloadable PDF) and listening to (45 minutes audio):

https://www.academia.edu/33742034/White_Settler_Revisionism_and_Making_M%C3%A9tis_Everywhere

http://mediaindigena.libsyn.com/ep-72-white-settler-revisionism-and-making-mtis-everywhere-pt-1

Offline Sparks

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2020, 02:06:27 am »
MCK sends letter to Indigenous Affairs denouncing Mikinak of Beauharnois & Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada
[…]
The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is prepared to work collaboratively with the Federal Government to determine a course of action that ensures the title and rights of the Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke are protected from the encroachment of fraudulent groups such as the Mikinak and Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada," said Grand Chief Joe Tokwiro Norton. "We implore Canada to take swift and meaningful action to put a stop to these fraudulent groups before the situation grows any more contentious."

I started a new topic about the Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada:

http://www.newagefraud.org/smf/index.php?topic=5490.0
[Heredity or hoax? About the Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada]

Offline Sparks

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Re: Mikinaks, Lise Brisebois
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2020, 02:16:00 am »
http://kahnawake.com/news/pr/pr07132016a.pdf
PRESS RELEASE
MCK sends letter to Indigenous Affairs denouncing Mikinak of Beauharnois & Confederation of Aboriginal People of Canada

That Press Release is also posted here: http://www.kahnawake.com/pr_text.asp?ID=3194

I found that link in this biting 2016 article, not mentioned before in this thread:

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/xdmpaq/this-unrecognized-aboriginal-community-is-pissing-off-quebec-mohawks