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Home » Blogs » Geordie's blog

Report: Unwanted Armed Guards + Mohawk Land = Bad Idea

posted by Geordie about First Nationsmohawksaboriginal rightsCanadian border and and Cornwall Island in Ontario

November 26, 2009

Report: Unwanted Armed Guards + Mohawk Land = Bad Idea

An internal Report from the Canadian Border Services Agency, warned that arming border guards at a controversial border crossing could result in violence.

According to a story in the Toronto Star, the crossing on Akwesasne Mohawk land at the Ontario-Quebec-New York border was to be staffed by armed guards in May 2009.

Six months before, the report claimed that doing so could lead to violence and "further damage the border agency's relationship with local Akwesasne Mohawks".

The day before guards were to get guns, 400 Mohawks had camped near the border crossing. According to the guards, threats of violence were issued causing the guards to abandon their posts.

Mohawks make up 70% of the cross border traffic at the crossing and demonstrated against the arming of the guards stating that it was a threat to their sovereignty and that they would evict the federal government if the guards were armed.

Speaking in the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder Akwesasne Mohawk Grand Chief Tim Thompson said MP Stockwell Day, Public Safety Minister at the time, refused to meet with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne over the issue.

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