▁Canada ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁along ▁the ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁River . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Census ▁Bureau , ▁the ▁Indian ▁res ervation ▁has ▁a ▁total ▁area ▁of ▁. ▁ ▁of ▁it ▁is ▁land , ▁and ▁ ▁of ▁it ▁( 9 . 7 6 %) ▁is ▁water . ▁It ▁is ▁border ed ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁towns ▁of ▁Fort ▁Cov ington ▁( east ), ▁Bomb ay ▁( s outh ), ▁Br ash er ▁( s outh west ), ▁and ▁Mass ena ▁( west ), ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁Ak w es as ne ▁Indian ▁Reserve ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁in ▁the ▁Canadian ▁provinces ▁of ▁Quebec ▁and ▁Ontario . ▁The ▁nearest ▁city ▁is ▁Corn wall , ▁Ontario , ▁which ▁lies ▁ ▁to ▁the ▁north west , ▁across ▁the ▁Ak w es as ne ▁Reserve . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁original ▁settlement ▁was ▁known ▁as ▁Ak w es as ne , ▁called ▁Saint ▁Rég is ▁by ▁French ▁Jes uit ▁mission aries , ▁after ▁Jean ▁François ▁Rég is , ▁the ▁priest ▁canon ized ▁as ▁a ▁Catholic ▁saint ▁in ▁ 1 7 3 7 , ▁who ▁had ▁expressed ▁a ▁desire ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁mission ary ▁to ▁the ▁I ro qu ois ▁people . ▁It ▁was ▁founded ▁about ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁by ▁several ▁Catholic ▁I ro qu ois ▁families , ▁primarily ▁Moh awk , ▁who ▁moved ▁up river ▁from ▁the ▁mission ▁village ▁of ▁C augh na w aga , ▁Quebec ▁( now ▁known ▁as ▁K ah na w ake ). ▁They ▁were ▁seeking ▁better ▁lives ▁for