Letter to the editor

Letter to the editor:

MOHAWK NATION OPPOSES SHIPRIDER PROGRAM

Akwesasne Mohawk Territory – Enniska (February) 25, 2011

The Chiefs, Clanmothers, Faithkeepers, and people of the Mohawk Nation extend greetings and offer thanksgiving. The Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs is the officially recognized national government of the Kanien’keha: ka (Mohawk) Nation by the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy. At this time, the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs would like to express its concern regarding the proposed Integrated Cross-border Maritime Enforcement Operations (ICMLEO), also known as the “Shiprider” program.

The Shiprider program is joint US/Canadian law enforcement taskforce designed to combat cross-border crime and threats to national security along the St. Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes areas. Using armed gunboats made up of both RCMP and US Coast Guard personnel, Shiprider vessels will have a presence at the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. While also interested in maintaining security and preventing criminal activity within its territorial waters, the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs questions if this is most reasonable and responsible course of action.

Firstly, armed gunships patrolling Akwesasne waterways are an inflammatory gesture that could spark undesired conflict between our two peoples. In an already jurisdictionally confused geographic area, the presence of armed vessels without the consent of our people is an unsettling thought. In an effort to prevent violence, the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs encourages US and Canadian authorities to reconsider its approach to maintain safety and security in the Akwesasne region and work with the Haudenosaunee to explore alternative solutions to our common concerns.

Secondly, the Shiprider presence is viewed as an infringement of Haudenosaunee sovereignty, since the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs was not consulted by the Governments of the United States and Canada, nor did they seek a cooperative approach that involved the Haudenosaunee as an equal stakeholder in the program. Without participation and consent from the Mohawk Nation, the Shiprider program will be viewed as an assault on the inherent rights of the Haudenosaunee and the usurpation of its sovereignty.

In reference to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the human rights standard agreed by the international community, the doctrine clearly outlines that:

Article 19

“States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free, prior and informed consent before adopting and implementing legislative or administrative measures that may affect them.”

Article 30

“1. Military activities shall not take place in the lands or territories of indigenous peoples, unless justified by a relevant public interest or otherwise freely agreed with or requested by the indigenous peoples concerned.”

“2. States shall undertake effective consultations with the indigenous peoples concerned, through appropriate procedures and in particular through their representative institutions, prior to using their lands or territories for military activities.”

The Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs seeks a dialogue with US and Canadian authorities on this issue, while in the meantime it shall continue to oppose the Shiprider activity within its territorial waters. For more information, please contact the Mohawk Nation Office at 518-358-3381.