John Harding (Sha ko hen the tha)

John Harding (Sha ko hen the tha) (b.? , Mohawk) is a leader who was elected to the chiefs' council at Kanesatake (2001-2004), a First Nations reserve in Quebec, Canada. He was part of organized opposition to Grand Chief James Gabriel in 2003-2004.

Early life and education

John Harding (Sha ko hen the tha is his Mohawk name) was born to a Mohawk mother and into her Turtle clan. In the matrilineal kinship system, inheritance and property are passed through the maternal line. Harding's father is not Mohawk.^[1] He developed as a Mohawk traditionalist.^[1]

Career

Harding worked as a policeman on the reserve and identifies as a traditionalist. He is strongly supportive of the Mohawk tradition of the council chiefs setting consensus for direction of the people.^[1]

In January 2004 he and fellow chiefs Pearl Bonspille and Steven Bonspille, of the six-member council, opposed Grand Chief James Gabriel, who had been popularly elected three times. They said that Gabriel had not consulted with them or the council on his decision to conduct a raid with the use of numerous police officers from other reserves and forces and suggested he was trying to secure too much private power.^[2]

In continued confrontation over these issues, there was violence and Gabriel's residence was burned in January 2004. He and his family left the reserve for their safety. Numerous protesters were prosecuted in the aftermath of the violence.^[1]

Harding was a key figure in Gabriel's eventual removal as grand chief by the tribal council and has denied Gabriel's claims that many of his opponents were part of a criminal class.^[1] He and his supporters opposed appointment of an interim police chief, Ed Thompson, and in April 2004 maintained some of the traditional Peacekeepers at the highway running through the reserve.^[2]

In 2005, both Gabriel and Harding lost their bids for re-election as chiefs.^[3] Steven Bonspille was elected as grand chief that year^[3] as were a slate of six Gabriel supporters to the chiefs' council, which had all new members.

Notes