John Harding (Sha ko hen the tha) facts for kids

John Harding, whose Mohawk name is Sha ko hen teh tha, is a politician from the Mohawk nation. He was a leader in the Mohawk community of Kanesatake in Quebec, Canada. From 2001 to 2004, he served on the chiefs' council. During this time, he disagreed with Grand Chief James Gabriel. In 2005, neither Harding nor Gabriel were chosen again as chiefs.

Early Life and Mohawk Culture

John Harding was born to a Mohawk mother. He became part of her Turtle clan. In the Mohawk tradition, family lines and some important things are passed down through the mother's side. This is called a matrilineal system.

Harding grew up learning about his mother's Mohawk culture. He believes strongly in traditional Mohawk ways.

Serving His Community

Harding worked as a police officer in his community. The Mohawk people govern themselves in many ways. This includes having their own police force for certain situations.

He strongly supports the Mohawk tradition of council chiefs. In this system, leaders work together to agree on decisions for their people. This is called reaching a consensus.

Disagreements with the Grand Chief

In January 2004, John Harding and two other chiefs, Pearl Bonspille and Steven Bonspille, had a disagreement. They were half of the six-member council. Their disagreement was with Grand Chief James Gabriel. Gabriel had been elected as Grand Chief three times by the people.

Harding and the other chiefs felt that Gabriel had not talked enough with them or the council. They were concerned about his decision to bring in many police officers from other areas. They believed he was trying to make decisions without enough input from the council.

Changes in Leadership

The disagreements continued. Grand Chief Gabriel and his family left the community for their safety in January 2004. Many people who protested were later dealt with by the law.

Harding was an important person in the council's decision to remove Gabriel as Grand Chief. Harding disagreed with Gabriel's claims that many of his opponents were involved in criminal activities. Harding and his supporters also did not agree with the choice of Ed Thompson as an interim police chief. In April 2004, they started a group of traditional Peacekeepers. These Peacekeepers helped to watch over the highway that goes through the community.

New Elections

In 2005, both James Gabriel and John Harding ran for chief again. However, neither of them were re-elected. Instead, Steven Bonspille was chosen as the new Grand Chief that year. Six new members who supported James Gabriel were elected to the chiefs' council.