Eastern Door editor Steve Bonspiel kicked out of Kahnawake meeting

A community meeting by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake to discuss the band council'smarry out, stay out policy has onceagain stoked the flames of one of themost hotly contested subjects inrecent years on the Mohawk territory on Montreal's SouthShore.

• Mohawk Cheryl Diabo faces eviction threat from Kahnawake
• Mohawks seek to remove non-natives from Kahnawake

Mohawk journalist SteveBonspielhas been covering Kahnawake community meetings for six years for his publication based on the reserve, the Eastern Door, as well as forKahnawake radio station K103.

However, he told CBC Daybreak host MikeFinnertyhe was thrown out of Tuesday nights meeting after bandmembersvoted75-55 to have him removed.

All of a sudden Im Public Enemy No. 1, and I have to leave. For what? I was just going to sit there quietly and cover the meeting,Bonspielsaid.

Marry out, stay out rule

The marry out, stay out policy has been in place since 1981, but it has not been widely enforced.

The rule means Mohawks who marry non-natives have to leave the community of about 8.000 residents. Over the years, some have leftby their own accord, but others have chosen to stay despiteKahnawakesmembership law.

The controversy over membership erupted once again over the summer, when a Mohawk woman and her non-native husband broke ground on a new home in the centre ofKahnawake.

Since then, Mohawks married to or living common-law with a non-native have been targeted by supporters of the eviction policy.

• On mobile? Listen to Steve Bonspiel on Daybreak here

Kahnawakechief responds

JournalistBonspielsaid he was told prior to the meeting that it would be a heated discussion.

Mohawk Council Grand Chief MikeDelisletoldDaybreakon Wednesday morning that thecommunity decided to limit the meeting to people on theKahnawakeregistry Mohawks who live on the territory.

EventhoughhecoversKahnawakeextensively as a journalist,Bonspielis from the Mohawk community ofKanesatake, northwest of Montreal.

DelislesaidBonspielsousting from the meeting was purely about the registry, and not because he is a journalist. Another journalist for theEastern Doordid end up making it into the meeting, he pointed out.

I was just going to sit there quietly and cover the meeting.- Steve Bonspiel, journalist

When askedwhether barring certain members of the media from covering a community meeting was democratic,Delislesaid the vote to oustBonspielwas the ultimate show of democracy.

Delislesaid another member ofKahnawakewho married out was also kicked out of the meeting.

He said their removal was to make sure othercommunity members wereas comfortable as possible in speaking about the issue.

Bonspielsaid some in attendance launched insults and cat-calls at him and others in the room.

Delislesaid the current membership law is suspended, and the council and community are working on a new draft to be presented at the end of the month.

• On mobile? Listen to Grand Chief Mike Delisle on Daybreak here