The Canadian government beat Akwesasne to the punch and closed the Border crossing at 11:50 PM last night as hundreds of Mohawk Citizens and heavy equipment waited by bonfires last night.
“Mohawk Warriors, who were present at the meeting, made it clear on Saturday that they would storm the border post Monday and drive the guards off the reserve if the Canadian government did not deliver a signed promise that the guards would not carry guns on the reserve.”
Hopefully a peaceful quick resolution is found as closing bridges is never good for anyone; especially native communities.
“While King said he expected “thousands” to gather over the weekend in support of the Mohawks’ position, he insisted the gathering would be peaceful and would not involve any blockades.”
When I drove back from the US to Canada last night at about 10:20 PM there was a professionally printed sign saying the bridge was closed. That sign, as confirmed by the Canada Customs agent was not placed by Canada Customs.
There were also quite a few pieces of heavy tractors present near the bonfires. Surely those weren’t necessary if there were no plans to close the bridge.
I think that by Canada Customs closing the border they avoided a very nasty confrontation and defused some nastiness.
Calmer heads need to prevail and the politicking needs to stop.
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If an armed First Nations customs booth were set up to check on travellers entering Akwesasne from Ontario or New York, that would certainly raise a few hackles. Is it so difficult to see how many Akwesasne residents feel about CBSA agents on their land?
These are our neighbours, people like anyone else. Human rights and dignity ought to come before political motives, and the self serving policies of bureaucrats.
It is native land. It was not ceded, surrendered, sold or even conquered; it was absorbed by the nation of Canada through crookery, treachery and lies. How can a Canadian with any sense of fairness not be ashamed of how this whole situation has come about.
One hopes that Akwesasne will get its act together and throw out the criminal elements in their community and do their own immigration work; quit sheltering Hells Angels, Mafia, and Cornwall “businesspersons” that use native sovereignty as a shield for their cocaine, weapons, alcohol and tobacco enterprises. Do you really need Trenholm in your midst? What has Stanley done except introduce children to money, drugs and guns.
But the rest of Canada might consider ending their support of those enterprises too; quit buying the product. Anything else is hypocrisy.
Arming border guards is not likely to stop any of this.