Kahnawake students lead protest against Quebec's Bill 96
Following demonstrations last weekend in Montreal where thousands walked through the downtown core in protest of Quebec's French-language laws, students in the Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) community of Kahnawake led a walk of protest Saturday.
Several dozen students, former students and supporters from the community walked along Highway 132 and onto the Mercier Bridge with signs denouncing Bill 96.
Teiotsatonteh Diabo was one of the organizers of the protest. She graduated from Kahnawake Survival School two years ago and attended her brother's graduation on Friday.
She also has a sister in Grade 9, and they are all concerned that requiring more French in college will deter students from pursuing post-secondary education.
"They're worried that CEGEP is going to be near impossible with the new French courses that they're going to implement," said Diabo, who said very few residents in Kahnawake can speak or understand French fluently.
"A lot of the younger ones are like, we don't know if we want to go to CEGEP now," she said.
The students will be joined by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake and other community members who have been vocal about their opposition to Bill-96.
Minister Responsible for the French Language Simon Jolin-Barrette wrote the bill and told CTV News after the bill was first presented that it was always top of mind not to cause divisions, but just to protect the French language.
"When I wrote that bill, it was always on my mind not to cause division and not to take out rights for the English communities and the Aboriginal people also," he said. "It's only about protecting French because we see that French is in decline."
Diabo explained that most students in Kahnawake grow up with a goal of learning their mother-tongue Kanien'kéha (Mohawk language) in addition to English. Pressure to learn French on top of the two is something that she feels will cause unnecessary stress.
"Can you imagine us having to catch up in French as well?" said Diabo.
Though Bill 96 would not apply on the territory of Kahnawake, community members from the community across the Mercier Bridge from the Island of Montreal leave for health services, grocery shopping, school, work and other reasons.
"You can't expect us to all of a sudden learn French," said Diabo.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
DEVELOPING Hamas accepts Gaza ceasefire proposal from Egypt and Qatar
Hamas said it has accepted a ceasefire deal proposed by Egypt and Qatar, which seeks to halt the seven-month war with Israel in Gaza, prompting Israel to say it would send a delegation to negotiate – though it warned the proposal remained far from the 'necessary requirements.'
An American soldier was arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, U.S. officials say
An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. The soldier was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to the United States, but travelled to Russia.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Competition Bureau launches inquiry into Lululemon over 'greenwashing' allegations
Canada's Competition Bureau has launched an inquiry into Vancouver-based Lululemon following a complaint from members of an environmental group.
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to quash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc tabled legislation in the House of Commons on Monday proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Bill C-70 proposes to enact a new 'Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act.'