The Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke (Kahnawa'kehró:non) are an ancient people with a vibrant culture and rich history. They are one of the eight communities that make up the Mohawk (Kanien:keha'ka) Nation and have historic, political and cultural ties to the Oneida, Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga and Tuscarora Nations of the Northeastern part of North America.

History has shown, throughout their lives, the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke (Kahnawa'kehró:non) have demonstrated a resiliency and ability to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances which form so much a part of our history. From the time of their Creation to the imposition of the Indian Act, they have responded to these challenges with the same tenacity, dignity, resourcefulness and hope, which have guided them throughout time while maintaining the philosophies and principles contained within the Great Law, the Two Row Wampum Treaty, their Creation Story and the Seventh Generation.

Kahnawá:ke is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, 9 miles south of downtown Montreal. Kahnawá:ke’s land base of 12,000 acres includes what is known as the Kahnawá:ke Indian Reserve, supplemented by the Doncaster Indian Reserve, a territory near Ste-Agathe-des-Monts, Quebec. Additionally, the Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke claim ownership of the Seigneury de Sault St-Louis, a 1680 seigniorial grant which includes the current Reserve as well as more than 24,000 acres of additional land on the Reserve’s western and eastern borders, presently alienated from the Mohawks and occupied by a number of non-Indian municipalities. The Mohawk Territory of Kahnawá:ke is governed by a Band Council called the Mohawk Council of Kahnawá:ke (MCK). The Council is composed of a Grand Chief and eleven Chiefs elected by a plurality of votes. Elections are held every three years. Administrative and financial responsibility for the operations of the community is vested in the MCK.

Kahnawá:ke has reassumed authority over programs and services in a number of jurisdictional areas. This includes control in whole or in part in the following sectors: justice (Court of Kahnawá:ke and the Kahnawá:ke Peacekeepers), education, social services, health, and economic development and Gaming. In 10 Ohiarí:ha/June 1996, . The Mohawks of Kahnawá:ke (Kahnawa'kehró:non) established the Kahnawá:ke Gaming Commission. The Commission is empowered to regulate and control gaming and gaming related activities conducted within and from the Mohawk Territory of Kahnawá:ke in accordance with the highest principles of honesty and integrity. The Kahnawá:ke Gaming Commission that enforces regulations designed to ensure, amongst other goals, that: (1) only suitable persons/entities operate within Kahnawá:ke; (2) all games offered are fair to the player; and (3) all winners are paid. Today, the Kahnawá:ke Gaming Commission is an internationally recognized body.