About Joseph Tokwiro Norton

Joseph Tokwiro Norton, the sole owner and CEO of Tokwiro Enterprises, ENRG, was born in 1949, and grew up in the Mohawk territory of Kahnawá:ke. As a young man he was a qualified and Union member of the Ironworkers of America, and worked on projects such as the World Trade Center in the 1970s. In 1978, at the age of 28, he was elected to the Council of Kahnawá:ke; he was elected to the position of Grand Chief two years later.

In the early 1990s, Joe negotiated on behalf of the people of Kahnawá:ke, mediating between Mohawk traditionalists and the provincial government to defuse an armed standoff at the town of Oka, and working to find a peaceful solution that respected Mohawk sovereignty. In the wake of the crisis, he helped to negotiate a series of agreements with the Quebec authorities granting more powers to Kahnawá:ke in areas such as taxation, economic development, and the administration of justice; including such milestone reforms as the 1995 Kahnawá:ke-Canada-Quebec Tripartite Agreement on Policing. Guy Chevrette, former Native Affairs Minister for the province, said of Joe Norton’s role in the crisis and beyond, “He brought them stability. He demonstrated that perpetual confrontation didn't bring results.” (The Globe and Mail, 6/2/2004.)

While Grand Chief, Joe led community development projects with a focus on education and entrepreneurship. As a member of the Economic Development Commission, in 1998 he established and led an $8 million equity fund for development, which was renewed in 2004. In conjunction with Willis College of Business and Technology, he set up the Joseph Tokwiro Norton Scholarship, an annual award for Aboriginal youth to pursue high technology careers. In 2002 Joe received the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for community development. When he left office as Grand Chief in 2004, Kahnawá:ke had a budget surplus and a 2% unemployment rate.

In 1996, while Joe was Grand Chief, he presided over a council resolution adopting gaming statutes. He worked to enact legislation establishing a body of Gaming Law and also the Kahnawá:ke Gaming Commission, for the purpose of regulating fair gaming over the Internet. In 1998, he presided over a council resolution establishing Mohawk Internet Technologies (MIT), a cutting-edge information technology firm, under Kahnawá:ke jurisdiction. Joe served on the board of MIT from 1999-2004, followed by a two year stint as VP for Business Development and Government Relations.

“Over the years, the community has encountered a number of hurdles, controversies and challenges,” the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake has said in testimonial to Joe Norton. “Grand Chief Norton has always managed to find an amicable solution without compromising the Mohawk people’s principles.” The National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation adds, “Chief Norton has approached these negotiations guided by the traditional Mohawk Confederacy belief that people negotiate government to government and always with tolerance, acceptance and a concern for mutual understanding. [Chief Norton’s contributions to technology, employment, and development in his community], coupled with the advances Chief Norton has brought to Kahnawake in health care, education, care for seniors, made at home policing and culture and recreation, make him a great Aboriginal achiever”.

Joe Norton, as a leader of the Canadian Mohawk community, has always been a strong proponent of economic development for his people. He observed the benefits that lotteries and, in some cases, casinos have brought to state and national budgets in the US and UK, and believes that a similar model could well serve the Mohawk communities and aboriginal peoples in general. Gaming has a long tradition among the Mohawks and is recognized in many legal circles as being an aboriginal right under the Canadian constitution. Joe viewed his investments in gaming operations as a natural extension of those rights and as a good business opportunity for himself and the people of Kahnawá:ke. Tokwiro gaming businesses have provided many benefits for employees, their families, and communities in both Kahnawá:ke and Costa Rica.