Effects of construction projects in/through community← Previous revisionRevision as of 07:06, 11 November 2026 Line 127: Line 127: ===Effects of construction projects in/through community=== ===Effects of construction projects in/through community=== Historically, the federal and Quebec governments have often located large [[civil engineering]] projects benefiting the southern Quebec economy through ''Kahnawake'' land because of its proximity to the Saint Lawrence River. The reserve is criss-crossed by [[electric power transmission|power line]]s from [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] plants, [[rail transport|railways]], and vehicle highways and bridges. One of the first of such projects was the fledgling [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]'s [[Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge]]. The masonry work was done by Reid & Fleming, and the steel superstructure was built by the [[Dominion Bridge Company]]. In 1886 and 1887, the new bridge was built across the broad river from Kahnawake to the [[Island of Montreal]]. Kahnawake men worked as bridgemen and [[ironworker]]s hundreds of feet above the water and ground. Historically, the federal and Quebec governments have often located large [[civil engineering]] projects benefiting the southern Quebec economy through Kahnawake because of its proximity to the Saint Lawrence River. The reserve is criss-crossed by [[electric power transmission|power line]]s from [[Hydroelectricity|hydroelectric]] plants, [[rail transport|railways]], and vehicle highways and bridges. One of the first of such projects was the fledgling [[Canadian Pacific Railway]]'s [[Saint-Laurent Railway Bridge]]. The masonry work was done by Reid & Fleming, and the steel superstructure was built by the [[Dominion Bridge Company]]. In 1886 and 1887, the new bridge was built across the broad river from Kahnawake to the [[Island of Montreal]]. Kahnawake men worked as bridgemen and [[ironworker]]s hundreds of feet above the water and ground. [[File:Kahnawake vue de Montréal 2.jpg|thumb|Kahnawake seen from Montreal]] [[File:Kahnawake vue de Montréal 2.jpg|thumb|Kahnawake seen from Montreal]] When the national government decided to pass the Saint Lawrence Seaway canal cut through the village, the people and buildings of Kahnawake were permanently separated from the natural river shore. The loss of land and access to the river, the demolition of houses, and the change in the community's relationship to the river have had profound effects on Kahnawake. The people had been sited there for hundreds of years, and their identities were related to a profound knowledge of the river, from the time they were children through adulthood. One effect of the losses was to make the community determined not to suffer more encroachment. They drew together and became stronger. In 1955, the [[Government of Canada|national government]] decided to pass the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] canal cut through the community, unilaterally expropriating 1264 acres of Mohawk territory. Despite resistance from Kahnawake and appeals to the Canadian legal system and [[United Nations]], the people and buildings of the community were permanently separated from the natural river shore. Unable to stop the canal's construction, the Band Council attempted to ensure compensation for displaced landowners, with partial success.{{cite web |title=Museum & Library |url=https://www.korkahnawake.org/museum |website=korkahnawake.org |publisher=Kanien'kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center |access-date=25 September 2026}} The loss of land and access to the river, the demolition of houses, and the change in the community's relationship to the river have had profound effects on Kahnawake, as community identity was strongly linked to the river. ===Working in New York=== ===Working in New York===