At a time of year when themes of faith and kindness are the sentiments of the season, it would appear that some people would rather go in another direction.
The Mohawk Assembly of God church, located in the heart of Akwesasne, was vandalized this past weekend, sometime between January 1st and 2nd, before the snowfall. The church’s front entrance and street-facing exterior walls were ‘tagged’ with spray-paint in black and white lettering, which Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Chief of Police, Matt Rourke, identified as a familiar local insignia done by juveniles. He added, “this could be seen as a hate crime.”
The Christian place of worship is located on 7 East Church Street in Akwesasne, and was erected in 1959. Unlike other churches in Akwesasne, the Mohawk Assembly of God sits just off Route 37, seemingly an easier target for vandals.
A local community member and faithful parishioner, who reached out to Akwesasne TV regarding the incident, said, “I love this place and my heart is broken that people don’t respect a church, another person’s property. They don’t seem to care.”
Pastor April Bender said, “there is no ill will. There is always a seat at the table if they’d like to join us.” She added, “we’d like to thank the Tribal Police for their quick response, and the additional surveillance in the area.”
The incident is currently under investigation with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department. If you have any information, please call (518)-358-9200.
By Louis Douglas Jacobs
