The Birth of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police

By Doug George-Kanentiio

Akwesasne is a community which, for decades, was policed by external agencies. On the Canadian side there was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police with assistance from the Ontario Provincial Police and the then Quebec Police Force (now the Surete du Quebec. On the American sector were the New York State Troopers, Border Patrol and, in the instance of serious crimes, the FBI.

These police groups were not on the territory to secure the peace, prevent violence or investigate crimes but were used by Canada and the US to actively interfere in the politics and social lives of the people and were blatantly involved in the imposition of colonial administrations by force of arms if necessary. We cannot forget that patriots such as Jake Ice died in defense of traditional governance while others served long jail terms for opposing the so-called “elective” systems.

In 1948 the St. Regis Tribal Council decided to vote itself out of existence given the popular preference for a singular Mohawk Nation Council, but New York would not abide by this given its plans for the St. Lawrence Seaway and the construction of industrial plants adjacent to the territory-so state officials held an illegal vote in the town of Bombay then forced its “winners” upon the people with the troopers ready to smash any opposition.

North of the border the RCMP followed orders and empowered the St. Regis Band Council after Ice was shot and killed by one of its officers, a Colonel Sherwood followed by the arrest and confinement of the traditional leaders.

The Mounties were also involved in the taking of Mohawk boys and girls from their homes at the request of the Indian Agent and parish priest, those children were then shipped off to distant residential schools where they were abandoned to the violence and starvation of that system, returning home after years of confinement, broken and dispirited.

It was no surprise that in the civil rights era of the 1950’s and 60’s that the Mohawks would also be affected. Political and policing systems were seen as intertwined and rather than serving as peacekeepers law enforcement officers were agents of oppression. As did most people, the Mohawks watched as the cops attacked freedom riders in the American south and the young people at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. They saw the beatings in Selma and the murders of civil rights workers in Mississippi.

At Akwesasne the cops were intruders, non-Natives who brought their racism to the territory and were ready to swing a baton at those who “resisted” arrest, In December 1968 a platoon to Canadian officers invaded Kawehno:ke to break up the blockage of the crossroads with many Mohawks carted off to jail.

The next year, 1970, would bring about the removal of the RCMP from Akwesasne and the retreat of the NY State Police.

That summer an event took place which could have led to fatalities. During a warm summer evening a group of young people had gathered in Kana:takon, as was normal as we walked from the point to the pool hall. The Mounties decided to confront what they believed was a mob and two officers confronted the Mohawks, ordering them to disperse. The kids refused and one of the cops pulled out his revolver and threatened to fire if they did not leave. I witnessed this.

In response the Mohawks decided to create a roadblock and took a pile of logs meant for telephone poles and set them afire near the police station. It took a bulldozer to break apart the blaze, but the cops had identified some of those present. I was one of them and a week later was grabbed by two officers and taken to the station atop the hill and across from the cemetery. Also arrested was my brother Danny.

Our friends were angered by this and gathered in front of that small jail, shouting for our release. Danny was let go when the cops heard the teenagers yelling “You can’t arrest him; he is going to be a priest!” As Danny was living at the rectory at the time this was expected of him. He did not go to the seminary but served 20 years in the US Marines.

Our cousin Johnny Smoke was roughed up by the Mounties but since the cells were occupied by my brother and myself, they let him go. I was taken to jail in Valleyfield and heard on the police radio while in transit that a riot was taking place in the village. My sister Margaret was grabbed by one cop and when she was being forced into the station my oldest brother Davey came to her rescue and when the officer refused to release her Davey made him do so. In the fight which followed the cop was forced to the ground and thrashed.

Thereafter whenever that Mountie saw my brother, or thought he saw him, he pulled out his revolver and fired. I recall that he chased Davey into the marsh behind the former home of Joe King and heard the shots as he tried to kill my brother. Our friend Percy Point drove a black convertible with a white top and when the Mountie suspected Davey was in the car, he fired without warning narrowly missing the occupants. Davey was not in that car.

This blatant attempts at outright murder were found to be too extreme by the RCMP and upon an investigation the officer was fired, and the Mounties withdrew from Akwesasne. In its place the St. Regis Band Council hired Jimmy Montour as a peace officer, and we had a great summer teasing him then playing a teenage version of tag as he chased us through the streets. Those hide and seek games took place after my ten days in the Valleyfield jail where I was released after a stern warning-in French-which I dismissed as soon as I returned him-mostly walking the 50 km along route 132.

Since those days the Akwesasne Mohawk Police has become ingrained in the lives of the people. They are armed, as Mr. Montour was not, but still cart off their prisoners to Valleyfield as they enforce alien laws and bypass the traditional conflict resolution methods. We did not have to deal with drug and smuggling cartels in those days and no one had any kind of firearm other than a .22 or shotgun which were never used in our protests. We dealt with conflicts with our voices and our fists if necessary.

A different time certainly but an era when our teenagers had good causes to fight for and clear opponents to fight against.