Gun drop planned for Akwesasne

Tribal employees and officials are organizing an event that they hope will set a precedent for other Akwesasne organizations and people to work at making the community safer.

The first ever “gun drop” will be held likely at the tribal community building sometime in the upcoming weeks. The event will give anyone in Akwesasne the opportunity to rid themselves of assault weapons anonymously and without fear of prosecution.

Gun drops have been successful elsewhere in North America at eliminating illegal guns. Anyone will be able to drop the weapons off under a “no questions asked” policy. The intent is not to prosecute those who have guns, but to get those weapons out of the community and out of the hands of anyone who might use them for harm.

The St. Regis Mohawk Tribe is hosting the event and to further entice community members to participate and drop off dangerous guns, cash or gift certificates (the details have yet to be settled upon) will be given out in exchange. A gun appraiser will be on site to look guns over and determine their worth.

“There’s a big difference between a hunting rifle and an assault weapon,” said Tribal Sub-Chief Ron LaFrance who is helping to organize the gun drop. “Assault weapons are designed for one thing and one thing only - to kill people. If we can get one of those off the street then (the gun drop) has been a success.”

LaFrance said people at the tribe began discussing the importance of such an event following the recent border crisis at Akwesasne in which the issue of border guards being armed was of concern to many Akwesasne people. At around the same time, a young Akwesasne boy committed suicide with an assault weapon and shortly later in a separate incident, a pair of Akwesasne men opened fire on a house in Kana:takon (St. Regis) during broad daylight while the St. Regis Catholic Church conducted their Holy First Community ceremony a few feet away.

“We always questioned why hasn’t this attention been brought to our community a lot sooner?” said LaFrance. “We got talking and you know there’s so much violence here that hasn’t been addressed by anybody. We tend to be reactive people instead of proactive.”

LaFrance and Danielle Lazore-Thompson approached tribal council about conducting the gun drop and they were fully supportive.

At the Wellness Day 2009 event, a table was set up to ask community members various questions about the gun drop. LaFrance said there was an overwhelming amount of support for such an event.

Planning a gun drop isn’t simple and organizers are pouring over tiny details. There has been protocol established by other communities and anyone dropping off a gun will have to do so following that protocol. Likely, the individuals will not get out of their car and the gun(s) will be in the trunk of the vehicle for safe removal.

LaFrance said that speaking realistically, many people in possession of assault weapons will not drop them off. However, anyone can drop the guns off, not necessarily the illegal owner. A concerned mother, wife, grandfather, etc. can turn over a weapon that they know is in their home.

Further details of the gun drop will be advertised and distributed as the event nears the end of the planning phase.

“That should be happening hopefully in the next couple of weeks,” LaFrance said.