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June 3, 2009

Bridge standoff in third day

By DENISE RAYMO

AKWESASNE — Most traffic is blocked at the Seaway International Bridge for a third day as the issue of armed customs agents continues to divide St. Regis Mohawk leaders and Canadian authorities.

The vice president of the Border Services Agency, Luc Portelance, said he will meet with Mohawk Council of Akwesasne members to discuss the situation, said Brendan White, communications director for the council.

This would be the first talks the two sides have had since last week, when Council Grand Chief Tim Thompson met briefly with Agency Director Stephen Rigby.

District meetings between the Tribal Council and its constituency were held late Tuesday, but results were still being evaluated Wednesday, according to a news release from council staff.

“Our community’s position has not changed,” White said. “We will not allow the CBSA officers to carry guns on the Akwesasne Mohawk territory.”



RESIDENTS ONLY

The northern span of the bridge was re-opened only to Akwesasne residents late Tuesday to quell residents’ concerns over lack of groceries, medicine and other needed goods.

But the American span is closed to all traffic.

Akwesasne residents are allowed to drive from Cornwall to Cornwall Island and back.

But American citizens of Akwesasne cannot return to the island once they have come to New York.

Some customs agents who were pulled off the job have been reassigned to the border crossing at Prescott, some are taking days off, some are taking arms training, and others are handling administrative duties.



MOHAWKS MAIN TRAFFIC

The bridge, called Three Nations Bridge by Mohawks, was closed by the Canadian Border Services Agency about midnight May 31 when it pulled its officers off duty just before a June 1 policy was to be enforced, requiring Canadian customs officers to wear a 9mm Beretta sidearm.

The government’s policy is to arm all of its border agents by 2016.

The customs house is the only one on Indian territory out of Canada’s 119 border crossings.

Akwesasne Mohawks account for nearly 70 percent of the traffic that uses the Seaway border crossing.

Mohawks, concerned the presence of guns could escalate already tense feelings between the customs agents and residents, were not consulted about Canada’s plan, even though the customs site is on Mohawk land.

Residents are also upset by weapons being at the customs house because it is in close proximity to residential areas, a playground and a bus stop frequently used by children.

At one point, about 400 Mohawks and supporters had gathered at the customs house late Sunday as the arming deadline approached.

Once customs agents left that night, the bridge was closed on both sides.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Cornwall City Police are blocking traffic from using the north span, while New York State Police and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents on doing the same on the American side.

Akwesasne Mohawk Police Services officers are stationed on the Canadian side to help with the Mohawk-only pedestrian traffic.



E-mail Denise A. Raymo at:

draymo@pressrepublican.com



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