Peaceful March Expresses Frustrations

On Friday, nearly 500 people gathered to demonstrate their frustration with the border crossing and restrictions which interfere with travel for Akwesasronon. They gathered at 9AM at the Mohawk Nation Longhouse, where the crowed was told not to react to jeers and taunts by people as they arrived in Cornwall. The march began at the longhouse and proceeded over the American bridge, where people again gathered at the old customs building. After a few people spoke explaining what was going to happen, some fruit and food was distributed and the crowd formed up again.

The group marched over the North Span Bridge and sang songs all demonstrating unity against the border situation. Passing through customs effortlessly, the group was not met with jeers, rather cheers, applause, and posters proclaiming support from residents of Cornwall, which seems to suggest that public support is in the favor of protestors.

From the customs booths, the crowd filed out and began heading across the traffic circle, where Ottawa District Director of Canada Border Services Agency, Steve MacNaughton, was waiting in his dress uniform. MacNaughton is no stranger to negotiations with members of Akwesasne Governments, having participated with talks involving all three governments in Akwesasne.

Faithkeeper Rick Oakes addressed the crowd and informed them of what was going to be discussed, which was “a violation of our inherent right to travel freely within our territory,” Oakes said.

Chief Tehana’karine addressed MacNaughton and explaining who was gathered there, saying, “these are delegations from the Iroquois confederacy, chiefs within our nations. There is two of them that are going to step up and hand deliver our complaints to you, Steve, who you carry to the Prime Minister.

After this MacNaughton was addressed in Kanien’:keha by Chief Kahentakeron which was translated by Chief Tehana’karine as “Previously the Haudenosaunee got together in Onondaga and they decided to participate in this event here and to come here and serve you with a letter, asking for it to be passed on to the Prime Minister. Written in the letter is some of our concerns as far as our treaty goes, and our right to freely cross back and forth over the US and Canadian border. We are now ready to serve that letter.”

After giving the letter to MacNaughton Chief Tehana’karine said, I am Tehana’karine, Bear Clan Chief of the Mohawk Nation. I came here today on behalf of the Mohawk Nation and the Haudenosaunee. What my brother just finished saying is we’re still here, we haven’t changed who we are. We still do the things that we said we would always do, to keep peace between your people and ours. It is you who put that line there, but that line does not belong to us. We come in peace today to tell you those things, to give you this letter to remind you of those things that we have agreed upon many years ago in the course when we dealt with the Two-Row Wampum. We are living those things still today, and he talks about those things in his talk. That we are still doing those things, and we expect the same respect from you and your people. We don’t come here to make trouble. We don’t come here to create conflict. We came here to remind you that you are in our lands. We have never released them or ceded these lands, and we have never sold them, and we expect that we should sit down with your Prime Minister and our leadership, in the very near future, to rehash those things, to rekindle those flames that we once had as brethren. We will still be here, we are not going anywhere.”

MacNaughton acknowledged the words given to him, and urged the crowd to proceed along their path. Afterwards the leadership spoke to Cornwall Mayor Bob Kilger, and an Executive Assistant for Guy Lauzon, who was unable to make it down to speak with leadership. The message was repeated to both Kilger and Lauzon’s assistant with one addition. The Condolence Cane was carried by Kahentakeron and was explained. Also at the rally were Faithkeeper Oren Lyons and Thatotaho Sid Hill, both speaking to Kilger.

After the speeches, Lauzon’s assistant pledged on behalf of Lauzon that the letter would be delivered on Tuesday to the Prime Minister. Having accomplished their goal, the rally dispersed after this and returned back across the bridge, peacefully.

Photos by Ian Oakes, Deb Cook and Marsha White