[Indigsol] Support the Mohawks of Akwesasne!

Thu Jun 4 14:10:32 PDT 2009

-- Please forward to anyone near Cornwall --

The Mohawk community of Akwesasne is currently blockaded by both American
and Ontario Police fores on either sides of the border, due to their
defiance of the order to have the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) be
allowed to carry lethal weapons on the border that strattles their
community. This territory is both in New York and Ontario, and traffic (in
particular residents of the reserve) have been prevented from entering this
community.

The residents of this community are asking people to attend immediately, if
possible, to witness, record, or otherwise exhibit solidarity with the
Mohawk community as they resist this particular attempt to reduce their
rights and self-determination.

For those who can, please make your way to this border community-- near
Cornwall, Ontario.

For more information, please contact Sandra Cuffe (to get interviews,
updates, etc from community members) at:

514 583 6432, or Sandra C <lavagabunda27 at yahoo.es>
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http://nooneisillegal-montreal.blogspot.com/2009/06/akwesasne.html

6/1/09

Akwesasne Updates: Mohawks vow to resist armed border guards

[The Canadian Border Service Agency] is a foreign oppressive force who
occupies our sovereign community and territory. (They are) unwelcome,
uninvited and now carrying firearms. For lack of a different
description, that is considered by some an act of war.  Larry King, member
of the Akwesasne Mohawk Territory (quoted in the Ottawa Citizen, May 29,
2009)

[A
delegation of three non-native Montreal activists, including a member
of No One Is Illegal-Montreal, is currently at the site of protesters
at the Kawehnoke Port of Entry (Cornwall Island) on the Mohawk
Territory of Akwesasne. Native protestes at Akwesasne are welcoming
allies to stand in solidarity, and to witness their efforts to resist
the imposition of armed guards on Mohawk territory.

The No One
Is Illegal-Montreal website will have updates directly from Akwesasne,
as well as maintain a mainstream and alternative news compilation at
this link. Read more below. ]

Update -- 7pm
Monday, June 1, 2009

As
of 5pm, vehicles are being allowed to travel between Cornwall and
Cornwall Island in Akwesasne. At this point, this is entirely local
traffic. Some vehicles have been crossing from the "Canadian" side to
the "American" side on the bridge, but not vice-versa. The situation at
the camp remains calm.
---------

Update -- 1:40pmMonday, June 1, 2009
Situation is calm at the site of the bridge. A press conference is
scheduled for 2pm.----------
Update â€“ 5:35am
Monday, June 1, 2009

-- CBSA guards abandon posts
-- Seaway International Bridge is blocked to vehicular traffic by police
-- Protesters maintain presence at border crossing

Dawn
is breaking on the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne, where local residents
have protested for months to oppose the arming of Canadian Borders
Services Agency (CBSA) guards on their territory. More than 50
protesters are maintaining a presence near the Canadian customs
building on Cornwall Island. There are at least five fires burning to
keep demonstrators warm. Many more residents and supporters are
expected to be on-site as the morning progresses.

According to
residents of Akwesasne (as well as mainstream media reports), CBSA
border agents abandoned their posts just before midnight, out of fear
of reprisals from the community. CBSA agents were due to be armed at
the Port of Cornwall crossing on June 1, a policy universally opposed
and condemned by the Akwesasne Mohawk Community.

Vehicular
traffic onto the Seaway International Bridge has been shut down by
police on both sides of the border, although pedestrians are still
being allowed to access the bridge.

The Mohawk territory of
Akwesasne straddles the jurisdictions of Ontario, Quebec and New York
State, and is a major international border crossing between Canada and
the United States. CBSA guards began arming in 2007, and there are
currently more than 800 armed CBSA guards across Canada. The entire
CBSA aims to be armed, in stages, by 2016. The CBSA announced that
their agents at the Port of Cornwall would be armed by June 1 of this
year.

  SELECTED NEWS & INFORMATION COMPILATION  June 1, 2009  Cornwall
Standard-Freeholder: U.S.-Canada border closed by Akwesasne protest of
guns at crossing; Border guards leave posts for U.S.  Ottawa Citizen:
Armed border guards abandon posts on First Nation  Radio-Canada: Les
Mohawks ne dÃ©colÃ¨rent pas

  May 30, 2009Â   Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Akwesasne Unity March
  May 29, 2009  Ottawa Citizen: Plan to arm borders guards an act of war
Mohawk Nation News (MNN): UN asked to stop guns at Akwesasne border
  May 28, 2009
  Mohawk Nation News (MNN): There will be no guns! You are on Indian Land 
 19 mai, 2009Â   Radio-Canada: Forte opposition aux douaniers armÃ©s
  May 12, 2009  Mohawk Nation News (MNN): 41-year legacy of Mohawk
resistance at Akwesasne border
  May 9, 2009  Canadian Border Services Agency: CBSA officers will begin
carrying duty firearms on June 1, 2009, at the Port of Cornwall
9 mai 2009
  Agence des services frontaliers du Canada: Les agents de l'ASFC du poste
frontalier de Cornwall seront dotÃ©s d'armes Ã  feu de service Ã 
compter du 1er juin 2009
May 3, 2009
  Mohawk Nation News (MNN): Armed Border Guards at Akwesasne?

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