Canada Closes International Border Crossing at Akwesasne Mohawk Nation Territory

By Karla E General
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, North America

AKWESASNE MOHAWK NATION TERRITORY – Protests by the Akwesasne Mohawks over a June 1 law that would have armed all Canadian border agents with nine millimeter handguns has resulted in the closure of the Canadian border crossing by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The border crossing is located on Cornwall Island, which is a part of the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation Territory.

The CBSA evacuated all of their guards and shut down the border crossing at midnight on June 1 after an impasse on talks with the Mohawk Nation and rumor of protests at the border. Subsequently, the border crossing located on the United States side was also closed, pursuant to international protocol.

The Mohawks have asked that Canadian border agents remain unarmed, especially in light of the long history of hostilities and tensions that exist between border agents and Indigenous residents of the Mohawk territory. Hundreds of complaints have been filed with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne (the Canadian Band Council), Canada Justice Department and the Canadian Human Rights Commission, but there remains to be a peaceful resolution to those claims. Many Akwesasronon (people of Akwesasne) feel that arming the Canadian agents will provoke an already-hostile situation. Former MCA Grand Chief Mike Mitchell has characterized the actions of the CBSA as a “scare tactic,” stating: “Unfortunately, both governments in the U.S. and Canada are new governments. They are not very well aware of Indigenous issues. They think one size fits all, but this is a unique situation … If the minister had appointed people to come and learn about this community, this would not have happened.” The Canadian law arming border agents violates the Mohawk Council of Akweasne Resolution No. 318, which forbids firearms to be carried by the CBSA within the territory of Akwesasne.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper refuses to back down from his federal policy of arming the Canadian border agents and Peter Van Loan, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, is in full support, stating that the gun policy will be applied to all Canadian border crossings, with no exceptions. Ron Moran, the national president of the Customs and Immigration Union, said it’s too risky to allow officers to return to the Cornwall Island post, as of Tuesday: “I don’t think there’s any reason to start risking that level of potential injury or loss of life. So, as it stands, it’s going to remain closed and that’s to the detriment primarily of the people on the Akwesasne reserve.”

A Conservative MP stated Tuesday that the CBSA is considering entering third-party mediations with Mohawk leaders to resolve the impasse.

The Canadian border agents who abandoned their post at Akwesasne have either been reassigned to other posts, are taking time off, or are taking firearms training.

Author: Impunity Watch Archive