Empowering Tribal Sovereignty Through Broadband Connectivity

• Our Mohawk territory of Akwesasne is a land defined by the resilience of our people, our connection to the environment, and our culture. With the St. Lawrence River weaving through the heart of our community, it is also a land sliced by the imposed U.S.-Canadian border, a division that once mirrored the digital one we faced. For years, a familiar silence settled upon us—the silence of the "forgotten mile." Major carriers stopped at our doorstep, their fiber lines ending precisely where our lands began. The reason was always a lack of "return on investment" (ROI), as they saw our people and our homes as not profitable enough to justify the cost of connection.

  But for the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, our future was priceless. This was a matter of necessity and sovereignty. We knew that high-speed internet wasn't just a convenience; it was a lifeline for education, economic development, and cultural preservation. We understood we couldn't wait for others to see our worth; we had to build our own backbone.

  Through a powerful partnership with the Development Authority of the North Country (DANC) for middle-mile infrastructure, and with a crucial ARRA grant and significant co-investment from the Tribe, we embarked on a monumental task. We built a fiber optic network from the ground up, creating the digital highways that big companies chose to abandon. We've continued to reinvest in our network, building in redundancy, increasing bandwidth, and ensuring higher availability to meet the growing demand for broadband adoption.

• Enhancing access to education, healthcare, law enforcement, and first responders to strengthen regional communities.

• Supporting workforce development, digital equity, and sustainability through federal IT and telecommunications contracts.

Empowering e-commerce opportunities for small businesses to drive economic growth in Akwesasne and surrounding communities.

• Central Focus: Strengthen the Tribe’s ability to respond to member needs and control its future.

• Digital Sovereignty: Ensuring the Tribe owns and controls its digital infrastructure and data.

• Strategic Investments: Aligning resources to protect human, environmental, cultural, and financial capital.

• The fiber-optic network is the backbone for sovereignty, fostering economic opportunity and resilience.

• Mohawk Networks, LLC is a tribally owned Internet Service Provider operating under the Tewáthahón:ni Corporation, the Section 17 Holding Company of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe. As a certified 8(a) tribal entity and HUBZone enterprise by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Mohawk Networks leads the way in advancing digital sovereignty and economic empowerment for the Akwesasne community and beyond.

  Our robust 80-mile fiber-optic network spans 20 square miles, connecting approximately 1,600 homes, businesses, and anchor institutions with reliable, high-speed Internet. We prioritize digital equity and support the growth of e-commerce for small businesses, enabling greater access to education, healthcare, and essential community services.

  At our core, we embody the mission of Tewáthahón:ni, which means "Pathmaker." By fostering Nation-to-Nation collaboration, investing in workforce development, and building sustainable digital infrastructure, Mohawk Networks strengthens the foundations of Tribal sovereignty and self-determination. Our vital network serves as the backbone for a thriving economy and a resilient, interconnected future for Akwesasne and the surrounding region.