Ms. Que Banh<p><a href="https://beige.party/tags/Akwesasne" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Akwesasne</span></a> is part of the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Mohawk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Mohawk</span></a> Nation, one of the six nations of the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Haudenosaunee" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Haudenosaunee</span></a> Confederacy. Its residents’ <a href="https://beige.party/tags/AncestralTerritory" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>AncestralTerritory</span></a>, which includes Barnhart Island, extends across the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Canada" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Canada</span></a> - <a href="https://beige.party/tags/USA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>USA</span></a> border, and includes parts of <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Ontario" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ontario</span></a>, <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Quebec" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Quebec</span></a> and <a href="https://beige.party/tags/NewYork" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NewYork</span></a> state. For decades, factories surrounding the reserve dumped now-banned chemicals into the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/StLawrenceRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>StLawrenceRiver</span></a>, <a href="https://beige.party/tags/contaminating" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>contaminating</span></a> the land and water. But Barnhart Island is upstream of the contamination — the breeze is still sweet and the water is clear. And soon, Akswesasne <a href="https://beige.party/tags/TribalGovernment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TribalGovernment</span></a> may sign a settlement agreement with the State of New York, ceding its title to the island forever. </p><p>For the <a href="https://beige.party/tags/LandDefenders" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>LandDefenders</span></a> who were arrested, reclaiming <a href="https://beige.party/tags/BarnhartIsland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>BarnhartIsland</span></a> goes hand-in-hand with protecting what’s left of their territory that is still healthy enough for them to gather medicine, hunt, fish, conduct ceremonies and heal. They aren’t willing to sell their homeland — not for any price. </p><p>Freelance <a href="https://beige.party/tags/journalist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>journalist</span></a> Brandi Morin and <a href="https://beige.party/tags/photojournalist" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>photojournalist</span></a> Ian Willms spent five days on the territory in June to document the fight for clean land.<br> <a href="https://thenarwhal.ca/akwesasne-mohawk-monsanto-barnhart-island" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">thenarwhal.ca/akwesasne-mohawk</span><span class="invisible">-monsanto-barnhart-island</span></a></p><p><a href="https://beige.party/tags/Indigenous" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Indigenous</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/NativeLand" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>NativeLand</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Unceded" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Unceded</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Environmental" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Environmental</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Pollution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Pollution</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/Ecocide" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ecocide</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/ToxicWaste" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>ToxicWaste</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/TurtleIsland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>TurtleIsland</span></a> <a href="https://beige.party/tags/CDNpoli" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CDNpoli</span></a></p>