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DHS Secretary cites Mohawk protest at border
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Filed Under: First Nations | Law

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said changes at the U.S.-Canada border have been "going well" except for a protest involving Mohawks.

Mohawks from New York and Canada are opposed to the arming of guards on the Canadian side of the border. Their protests led the Canadian government to abandon and shut down a border crossing station.

The Canadian government has since reopened the Seaway International Bridge but only to allow Mohawks to move within Canada. The American side of the border is still closed.

"And, to date, we are not seeing any kind of difficulty at all with the sole exception of one port of entry in upstate New York, a small port of entry where on the Canadian side there's an Indian tribe that's upset that the Canadian law enforcement will be armed now," Napolitano said in a speech at the Aspen Institute yesterday.

Napolitano spoke of the incident in the context of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, which requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other compliant document when entering the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security says it will continue to accept tribal identification cards and First Nations status cards at the border for the time being.

Get the Story:
Seaway International Bridge closure in third day (The Plattsburgh Press-Republican 6/4)

An Opinion:
Editorial: Not all protesters have real legitimacy (The Brantford Expositor 6/4)

Related Stories:
Mohawks protest armed guards at US-Canada border (6/2)
Tribal ID cards still allowed for US border crossings (6/2)

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