Press-Republican

Local News

Discussion

PLEASE NOTE: There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

ALSO NOTE: Derisive name-calling of an individual or group will result in the entire comment being deleted. This includes the terms "stupid" and "idiot" and similar references.

Welcome to our new online comments feature. Before you can join the discussion, you must first register with Disqus and verify your email address.

Once you do, your comments will post after they have been reviewed by a moderator.

We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including unpopular ones. We ask only that you keep the conversation civil and clean.

Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified, at the newspaper’s discretion, for a number of reasons. Here are some typical practices to avoid in trying to get your comment printed:

There is a 150 word maximum for comments. All comments greater than 150 words in length will be deleted in their entirety.

Don’t state as a fact something that is unsubstantiated or that our editors wouldn't know to be true.

Don’t presume someone’s guilt in a case when it hasn't been established by a court.

Don’t assail or impugn an identifiable individual or group. If you have that kind of criticism, sign your name and submit it as a Letter to the Editor. (There is some leeway on this in connection with public officials, but it is not unconditional.)

Don’t use profanity. This includes the term “tea bagger.”

Don’t be incendiary or tasteless. Those qualities are subjective, of course, and our editors will be the arbiters.

Do not identify yourself in the main content area of the article content form. Only by enforcing this rule can the moderators prevent unscrupulous commenters from falsely identifying themselves as someone they are not.

Don't type in all caps. It is considered the Internet equivalent of shouting.

In sports articles, do not criticize officiating.

Remember, moderators are not allowed to edit any article comments. If an article comment fails any of the above criteria, the entire comment will be deleted.

We monitor comments Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Approval of comments outside these times may be delayed.
comments powered by Disqus
June 4, 2009

Boats bringing supplies to Cornwall Island

By DENISE RAYMO

AKWESASNE — Boats are ferrying essential goods to St. Regis Mohawks on Cornwall Island while the Seaway International Bridge remains closed a fourth day.

Canadian Customs officials were pulled off their posts late Sunday as the deadline approached to start a new policy that would issue the border agents a sidearm.

The Canadian government has vowed to arm all of its customs personnel at 119 border crossings by 2016.

But St. Regis Mohawks, on whose land the customs house sits on Cornwall Island, oppose the issuance of weapons, fearing escalated tensions and public-safety concerns because of the building’s proximity to a residential area.

They are also upset that Canada did not negotiate the policy with the Mohawk leadership. It adopted the plan with no input or consultation with the Indians, on whom the decision would have the most impact.

Mohawks and their supports gathered at the customs house in protest Sunday, which prompted the Canadian Border Service Agency to close the building, citing safety concerns for its officers.

That closed the American side as well, forcing travelers to find alternate border crossings into Canada.

The bridge, called Three Nations Bridge by the Mohawks, is still open to Canadian Akwesasne Mohawks who want to walk or drive from Cornwall Island to the City of Cornwall and back again.

But Mohawks who leave Cornwall Island and come to New York are not being allowed to return to the island.

The boats now used to send goods across the St. Lawrence River to Cornwall Island are registered crafts certified by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, the governmental body on the Canadian side of the reservation.

Its leadership formally asked Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine Wednesday to help open talks with the Canadian government over the agent-arms issue.

Council members also met with St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Council leaders from the American side of the reservation and the Mohawk Nation Council of Chiefs to “discuss ongoing developments and determine future steps that support our community’s opposition to the arming initiative,” according to a news release from council staff.



E-mail Denise A. Raymo at:

draymo@pressrepublican.com

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Local News

Recent Article Comments
Albany Round-up

Photo of the Day
Strange News
Videos: Editor Picks
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48 Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party 79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC Obama Scraps Birth Control Mandate Navy Names Ship for Gabrielle Giffords Uzbek Man Pleads Guilty in Plot to Kill Obama Marines: No Punishment for Nazi-like Flag Vets Look to Translate Military Skills Into Jobs Raw Video: School Bus Burst Into Flames Pentagon: Allow Women Closer to Front Lines Raw Video: Italy's Mount Etna Bursts Into Life Air Force Airlines: Leaders Get Polished Service