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AKWESASNE

On the Mohawk reserve of Akwesasne, land — at first glance — seems plenty.

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About 23,000 people live on roughly 10,000 hectares of lush green fields flanked by islands and rivers that make up the territory about 150 kilometres west of Montreal.

But ask around and it becomes immediately clear while much of the land looks empty — save for the snapping turtles lazing on the roads — almost every inch on the reserve is spoken for.

Some younger members of the community are forced to buy houses and rent apartments outside the territory because they can’t build a home in Akwesasne, which straddles three jurisdictions: Quebec, Ontario and New York state.

That’s why Ottawa’s recent offer, which gives the Mohawks an opportunity to buy sparsely populated farmland that would almost double the size of the reserve, is so tempting.

But in order for that purchase to proceed, the Mohawks must renounce their claim to a separate 8,000-hectare parcel of land in the most westerly portion of Quebec, known in the province as Dundee, but recognized by natives as Tsikaristisere.