The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) and the Six Nations of the Grand River (SNGR) have inked a Gaming Collaboration Accord to safeguard Indigenous gaming rights in Canada. The pact expresses their shared opposition to the ongoing loosening of gambling regulations.
The accord was signed at the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and is in effect immediately.
The MCK and SNGR will collaborate through shared legal and political strategies to protect Indigenous rights to manage gaming nationwide. This includes striving to preserve the economic advantages that Indigenous communities will reap.
The accord also initiates the formation of a national Indigenous gaming regulatory body.
In a joint declaration announcing the accord, the MCK and SNGR voiced their dissatisfaction with recent reinterpretations and amendments to the Canadian Criminal Code. These modifications permit the Ontario government to establish an online gaming program under its iGaming Ontario department.
The tribal organizations stated this will not yield economic benefits to the SNGR or the MCK’s online gaming operation, Mohawk Online.
The province of Ontario will commence its digital gambling marketplace on the fourth of April and has granted initial permits to three operators.
“We are thrilled to reinvigorate the connection and fortify the partnership with our kin,” stated Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer. “This restoration of a longstanding bond based on our shared identity is a crucial initial step in bolstering our collective efforts to safeguard our interests and maintain our leadership in the gaming sector and other key areas we identify in the future.”
The accord also signifies that both parties will concur to establish an understanding with the local gambling regulator to discuss digital gambling possibilities that benefit both communities.
“Today’s agreement marks a significant milestone as our communities unite to address our shared concerns,” said Mark Hill, Chief of the Six Nations of the Grand River. “This collaboration is a preliminary step in demonstrating what we can accomplish as Iroquois communities if we work together.
“We are more powerful as a collective, not as individuals, and these connections will make us stronger in upholding our rights and authority in the gaming industry and beyond.”
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