Urgent training for Kanesatake officials warns of online dangers

During a training session on human trafficking at the Golden Age Club in Kahnawake, facilitator Isabelle Nicholas had to continually leave the classroom to deal with a real case, heading to the bathroom to have the privacy she needed. she needed to testify.

“It just made things surreal. This is happening and we need to educate ourselves,” said Nicholas, who is Kanehsata’kehró:non and is the domestic violence resource officer with the Kahnawake Peacekeepers.

Nicholas invited several members of the Kanesatake community to the training, facilitated by Timea's Cause Inc. The social enterprise was founded by and employs survivors of human trafficking.

“I thought I knew what human trafficking was, but this gives you a deeper insight into the mindset of a trafficker and a trafficked person, and the signs to watch,” Nicholas said.

According to Public Safety Canada, half of Canada's human trafficking victims are Indigenous, highlighting the need to provide training to Onkwehón:we communities.

Nicholas invited people who she believes can make a difference, including Mohawk Council of Kanesatake (MCK) Chief Valerie Bonspille, who was in attendance with MCK Grand Chief Victor Bonspille. Two members of the perimeter security team also participated.

Nicholas also welcomed nurses and Child and Family Services workers from the Kanesatake Health Center (KHC) as well as the principals of Kanesatake's two schools, given that youth are particularly at risk.

“It was a great training, and I wanted to involve as many people as possible to raise awareness and realize that what's happening out there right now whether we want to believe it or not.”

Nicholas noted that many predators live online, where they groom their victims by luring them away from seemingly innocuous meeting places like gaming sites and onto secure platforms like WhatsApp.

“They have enormous access to your children and your young people on the Internet,” Nicholas said.

Jonathan Peltier, who has been with Perimeter Security since the beginning, said the training was beneficial.

“I find it will help us approach victims if we are called upon during an incident, with care and compassion,” he said.

Peltier said the cannabis industry, despite some benefits, has put Kanesatake on the radar of a handful of individuals with questionable motives, saying Perimeter Security has received calls from concerned community members about suspicious people.

“This included people suspected of trying to ‘recruit’ people into the sex trade,” he said. “At the time we were thinking, 'Oh shit, how are we going to approach this?' The training we completed will help answer some of these questions.

He thinks the connections between perimeter security and health and education organizations could lead to protocols that could be beneficial.

Despite the importance of perimeter security workers and other adults being aware of the realities of human trafficking, Peltier believes similar training should be offered directly to youth in the community.

“They should learn about the risks of social media platforms and the people they meet from real people who have survived their terrible ordeals,” Peltier said.

Nicholas urges parents to familiarize themselves with the grooming process and how online engagement can leave young people vulnerable to predators.

“Educate yourself to know the signs and understand the grooming process. The more you know, the more you will be able to help your children and explain the dangers to them,” Nicholas said.

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Marcus Bankuti, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door