"Today, with Kateri’s success I am proud to be a Mohawk. Our people have responded to the pleas for donations that will be used to host the 73rd Annual Tekakwitha Conference. Food Sales, garage sales, auctions, football and hockey pools, and bingos as well as two Councils (Akwesasne Mohawk Council and St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council) that matched each other’s donation. Sr. Kateri Mitchell, the members of the Planning Committee co-chaired by Bernice Lazore, a longtime hard worker for Tekakwitha Conferences, Caroline Peters, working with the youth at Conferences, and Terry Steele, longtime player of Kateri’s life and with the Fonda Shrine all need a big thank you. The Conference will be in Kateri’s homeland. We are ready to welcome all those people coming.

For many years the Mohawks have raised money and have gone to the Conferences everywhere and participated by helping and explaining Kateri. It is not easy for our brothers and sisters from the western part of the country to fully understand our Iroquois culture, our homeland and then the Canadian aspect of her life. We shared our prayers and singing in Mohawk, even our dances at Pow-Wows. We have had several Conferences in the East so that people could easily visit Kateri’s people and her burial sight and monument in Kawhnawake. I believe that we are rewarded for all the years of helping knowing that it was for our Kateri and for nothing else. I dragged my family to so many conferences during my vacations. They went with me because they knew that it was our duty to help other Nations learn more and love Kateri like the Mohawks love her. We made many friends that we met year after year and the sad part is so many are not here anymore to see the Canonization but they are with her in Heaven."

Get the Story:
Alma Ransom: Love for Kateri (Indian Country Today 7/22)