My name is Monica, I am Onkwehonwe and I live in Akwesasne (Kawehno:ke aka Cornwall Island portion). Others often refer to Onkwehonwe around Akwesasne, as ‘Indian’ or ‘Mohawk’ or ‘First Nation, Aboriginal, Indigenous, Iroquois, Haudenosaunee, Native’.  On days that I choose to leave or return to my home, I am forced to make a decision about how I will accomplish that. Will I take a right turn or a left turn? What are my chances of returning home safely, peacefully, and intact?

Either way I turn to leave or return to my home, I must beep my closest friends and family to let them know the exact time that I make the turn and which way I will turn. I never know when or if any border agents, police, troopers, military, union agencies, or corporations (Seaway, Gas, Telus) are going to decide to barricade our roads and bridges. Each time they decided to barricade our roads, bridges, and imprison all Onkwehonwe onto our tiny island this year, they usually laughed as they told me that the ‘Mohawks of Akwesasne’ have no human rights with them. Other days they would frown, bark orders at me, and demand that I submit to all of their commands. Other days, they threatened to take my cameras away from me.

One night, this past summer (2009), a female NY State Trooper, actually crept up to my vehicle with her hand on her gun, as if she was terrified my vehicle would blow up on her. I had to put both my hands up in the air and loudly say hello so that she could at least hear a human being’s voice, coming from inside my vehicle. I have to say that I was alarmed that she might just start shooting me, simply because I was just trying to return to my home after purchasing a few bottles of water.

If I take a left turn, I must prepare myself mentally and remind myself of The Great Law. Based on how the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) union agents have treated myself, my friends, and family for the past 50+ years, I know that I can be the next unfortunate traveler.

At any time, a traveler may be unfortunate to be forced to deal with a miserable CBSA union agent. Not every CBSA union agent is the same, but we seem to have a clique of CBSA agents around Akwesasne, that have a very long history of dealing out abuse, harm, and threats towards innocent travelers.

Why is CBSA is stealing vehicles from Akwesasne?
In October 2009, CBSA union agents started stealing vehicles from anyone they know that lives in Akwesasne. CBSA then demands a $1000.00 or more ransom, to be paid by the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, before they will return the stolen vehicle or even show the paperwork about why they stole the vehicles. CBSA union agents have stolen the same vehicle from the same individuals, while laughing in the vehicle owners’ faces on occasion.  CBSA continues to steal vehicles from Akwesasne, even today.

Has your vehicle been stolen by border agents?

How  is CBSA forcing more than $30,000.00 per day from working class people in Akwesasne?
On some days, CBSA collects more than $30,000.00 from the mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, sons, daughters, and good innocent working-class people that live in Akwesasne.  Some of the people, refuse to allow MCA (Mohawk Council of Akwesasne) to pay the ransom for them, because they do not want the MCA to represent them as Onkwehonwe.  Some of the people, empty their life savings to pay the ransom.  Others take out personal loans to pay the ransom to CBSA.  Others in Akwesasne, go to the roads and beg for dollars, hoping that 1000 or more travelers will be able to spare a dollar, so that they can get their vehicle back and get their own children to school safely.

Why does CBSA want Akwesasne and Indians put under Marhall Law?
CBSA union agents laugh at the Mohawks of Akwesasne and try to escalate the bully game.  On a few occasions, this past summer of 2009, they have been overheard laughing and urging their angry victims to go beg for dollars, shut down their own bridges in Akwesasne,, so that all the Indians could be put under Marshall Law.

Have you ever had a border agent make threats about martial law for your own community?

Why is CBSA calling the Mohawks of Akwesasne, Immigrants and Refugees?
Sometimes when CBSA union agents recognize us, as being from Akwesasne, they scowl at us and demand that we go in another building to be interrogated. Other days, the CBSA union agents, will shut their booth window and get on their phone when they recognize our faces as being from Akwesasne. After they talk on the phone, they usually demand that we go to another CBSA trailer to be interrogated. Sometimes they hide their faces and their badge numbers from my cameras, when they say and do things that are abusive towards us and break their own laws, mandates, and policies.

When we are forced to go to another CBSA trailer, their are usually another set of CBSA union agents that interrogate us. The scrutinize our identification cards, passports, status card, drivers licenses or whatever identification we may be carrying. When I ask them why they are interroogating me, they angrily state that they are following the ‘Immigration and Refugee Act’ or the “Immigration and Refugee Protection Act’. When I tell them that Onkwehonwe and Indians are absolutely not ‘Immigrants’, nor are we “Refugees’, they usually scowl, laugh at me, or start behaving even more bizarre towards me.

Have you ever been forced to prove that you are not an immigrant or refugee, after you showed your identification to a border agent?

Why and Where do CBSA agents deport Indians too?
Usually as I deal with each incident with CBSA, I end up hearing about at least 5 more stories about other Onkwehonwe, Indians, Mohawks, Aboriginals, Indiginous, and First Nations individuals that were kidnapped, driven far away from their home, and dropped off at another border agency location. When CBSA union agents drop them off in the middle of nowhere, far away from their homes, they are left to fend for themselves and who knows if all of them ever make it back to safety? I am sad to think about any young travelers that are not able to afford the basics of personal safety. A cell phone along the border towns is an outrageous bill, that many working class people are not able to afford.

Are you an Indian that was deported from your own home? If yes, where did the border agents deport you too?

Lessons Learned about living around corporation borders.

• Do not travel alone around the borders.  Some border agents have a nasty habit of falsely accusing travelers of various crimes.  Some border agents are very nice,  but the few that are nasty, have really created serious safety hazards for all Onkwehonwe and travelers.
• Contact at least one friend or family member before you leave for your destination, during the route to your destination, and when you arrive at your destination.
• Always keep an audio recorder on and recording when you are forced to deal with border agents.
• Keep  your camera / video camera recording when you are forced to deal with border agents.  Be sure to not put yourself or your camera in a position that can be considered ‘hindering an officer of performing his duties.’  Keep a safe distance away, do not point the camera at the officer’s computer keyboard if present.
• If  you must travel alone, listen to happy peaceful music or audio that helps you maintain a peaceful happy mind.  I know it sounds silly, but some of the nastiest border agents around here, seem to pickup on any travelers that are having a moment of weakness (anger, fear, anxiety).  Do not risk your safety, by putting yourself in a situation where angry bully border agents may decide to take their misery out on you.
• When you are in a group setting, keep your cameras and audio recording and pointed at others in your group as they deal with border agents.  Be sure that your fellow travelers also point their cameras at you while you document the event.  Cameras seem to help everyone to remember to act with their best behavior.  Remember to stay calm and focused on remaining peaceful, calm, and safe.  Do all you can to De-escalate any incidents involving angry, frightened, anxious, border agents.
• If you notice CBSA border agents putting on black leather gloves and covering up their own security cameras, make sure you loudly point out that more cameras are still pointing at the officers from outside your small group that the CBSA union agents are focusing on.  When CBSA union agents realize that cameras are still recording their actions, they tend to stop threatening, making up false accusations, and often will stop their attack right their.  **  if you notice CBSA union agent is loudly verbally stating something that totally contradicts what is going on, quickly loudly let that CBSA union agent know that their are still more cameras on the incident.
• Cameras, Video Cameras, and Audio recorders can be setup to automatically upload incidents to the internet and other servers.  You need to learn how to do that for yourself if you are traveling around the borders.  You can contact me around Akwesasne, if you need some help to learn how to document the events in your life around Akwesasne.

I often wonder why some of the border agents consistently try to escalate a simple grocery shopping trip into a national security incident.  I may never understand why any border agent would choose to go into a career field that they so obviously hate so much.  I must say that if it were not for the friendly, honest, and professional border agents, I may never be able to enjoy the benefits of simple basic human rights around Akwesasne.

Nicole just notified the Chair that her system needs a few minutes to reboot.  At 3:17 pm, Nicole’s system was running and everything is being recorded now.  Sean’s request was ignored and Dana is now interrogating Helene Oakes about her past grievance with CBSA.  Helene stated that she never had work conflicts prior to working with CBSA in Akwesasne.

Helene said that she worked with a lot of respectable CBSA agents that followed the core values.  She said that their was also a small handful of CBSA agents that do not follow the core values.  Sean Gaudet objected to Helene’s statement. The Chair argued that it is important to recognize that Helene views and acknowledges that not every CBSA agent is ‘bad’.

Sean Gaudet is objecting and arguing that it’s not relevant, to try and establish if the witness (former CBSA officer), noticed that the more experienced CBSA officers treated the public differently than the newer inexperienced CBSA officers.  The Chair has agreed to stop the question, because it is asking for an opinion.

Helene is talking about the unique location of Akwesasne.  The Chair is asking if the USA border has the same problems as CBSA.  Helene is telling the Chair that the USA border gets more training and is much more professional.  Teiohontathe Fallan Davis is telling the Chair how the USA border customs building even shows the two row wampum inside their building.  Helene is explaining the Two Row Wampum concept to the Chair.  Salt held up the Two Row Wampum from the gallery, and the Chair noticed him, because Salt has his Kastoweh and ribbon shirt on.

Sean Gaudet objected to Dana drawing a quick map of Akwesasne.  The Chair ignored his objection, so Dana is showing the commission what Akwesasne is like in regards to the borders and how we are able to leave and return from our homes. How we are each expected to ask permission from so many border agents, just to get groceries, go to doctor, school, or work.  Sean Gaudet objected to showing a map of Akwesasne, so Dana said she would bring a map tomorrow for him.

Helene is saying that traditionalists do not recognize the borders that were placed for USA and Canada.  The Chair stopped the question and said that the question is getting too far from the Davis incident.

Helene went on to state that the day of the Davis incident, it was a ‘blitz’ from CBSA. That means that CBSA is targetting a certain problem, such as drugs or counterfeit money.  Blitzes might be pre-arranged, like on November 18 2005, when the VACIS machine was put on Davis.  Helene said that she had never seen a VACIS machine used on a vehicle before, because it was for commercial trucks, as far as she knew.

The Chair asked Helene why would Davis be targetted?  Helene said that black suvs from the reserve were targetted that day and that target was determined a few days earlier.  Sometimes blitzes were done where the only targets were anyone that went to the ‘Indian Lane’.  Helene never heard of a blitz being done on only lanes that were not the ‘Indian Lane’.

4:12 pm, Helene stated that cameras are on the old cbsa building, on the bridges, and the video tape is subpenoed to the courts when incidents happen.  Helene said that she went into the mohawk security office on November 18th 2005 and she saw that ‘Oka , Richard Jacobs’ still had the security cameras on the commercial area, where the VACIS machine was used against Davis earlier.  Helene said they also had problems with cameras because the male officers were zooming the camera onto females inappropriately.  She said that even though their was many cameras, their was only one tape and she does not know what the other CBSA officers did with the video tape recording of the Davis incident.

Blitzes in regards to the Chinese buses that go across to the casino, are to find out if any currency or contraband issues are happening. The chair just asked Helene if it was ever discussed that targeting Chinese buses could be viewed as discriminatory or profiling.

4:23 pm, Helene stated that Kevin Sills (targeting agent) with VACIS from landsdown wanted to blitz ‘Black SUVs’ that go in the Indian Lane, on the day that CBSA abused Davis.  Helene said that the VACIS team rarely ever went to the Akwesasne CBSA port.

4:25 pm, we are taking break until 4:30, then go until 5 pm.   Sean Gaudet claims to have a meeting, so he can’t stay until 5 pm.

4:40 pm, Sean is trying to cross examine Helene now (out of his turn, disrupting her process).  Helene is telling how the procedure and policies work, in regards to the video tapes that CBSA recorded all around the CBSA building. She said that she saw Richard Jacobs was taping / recording the incident with Davis.  She could not beleive what she was hearing on the radio and watching on the cameras, it was disgusting how Davis was being treated.

4:45 pm Sean Gaudet is objecting to a document being used as evidence.  Davis said she had to get the document, from ‘access to information act’ because it was never disclosed.  The document is created by Lucinda Reading and refers to ‘the tape’ that CBSA recorded of the Davis incident in 2005.

The chair is stopping today’s tribunal and stated we will start back up tomorrow morning at 9:30 am.

9:37am The Chair is stating that he won’t allow documents to be submitted as evidence, until the witness is present to verify that they created the documents.

9:42 am, Kakwerais  is interrogating Helene Oakes now.  Helene said that the incidents in 2005 regarding Davis, were taped and that she watched the tape and audio recordings in the mohawk security office.  Helene showed where the cameras were pointing at the commercial compound. She said that her and Oka Dick watched the video, it was zoomed into Davis, CBSA agents, and VACIS team during the incident.  Helene said that the night shift officers duty is to replace the day’s tape with a fresh new empty tape.

Helene phoned Rod Hart to tell him why she left in disgust early.
the supervisor (mr saucier left) so oic officer in charge was no one
on nov 2005 incident.

Helene told Rod she was disgusted with cbsa behavior, so she left and went home early.  She was disgusted how CBSA escalated the entire incident in regards to referring to ‘The Warriors’.  Rod Hart did not seem concerned about the incident.  Lance Markel is the new director of CBSA.

9:55 am Kakwerais is asking Helene Oakes about the incident with Teiohontathe Fallan Davis. Helene said she first heard that CBSA was sending Fallan into office to make her pay taxes and duties.  Helene was disturbed that the CBSA agents (Mr. Kevin Sills) threw receipts on counter, stating ‘boy is she pissed’.  Fallan came in, shivering, mascara running down her cheeks, she was cold, and she was crying.  She was wearing a tiny little thin bomber jacket and it was very cold outside.  The superintendant talked with Rod Hart.  Rod Hart told the superintendant to tellthem to just tell Fallan about the remission order and just kick her out to the road.

Helene asked Mr. Soicier if she could take care of it.  He told Helene to ‘knock yourself out’.   Helene noticed Fallan was shaking cold and crying so hard that she was gasping for air.  Helene asked her why she didnt declare her goods?  Fallan said they never her a chance, they were screaming at her. Helene told Fallan that under the remission order, she is allowed to bring in goods.  Helene tried to calm her down.  In all her years, she never seen a traveler that was so completely devastated.  Helene told Fallan that she would go talk with Rod Hart and arrange for her and him (on monday) to discuss the incident and put a complaint through.  She calmed down a little and left.

Helene went upstairs to phone Rod Hart and let him know about the complaint.  Rod told her ‘no problem’ and he agreed to meet with Fallan on the next Monday.

10:05 am Kakwerais asked Helene how long did she stay at the CBSA port, after Fallan left. Helene said she went to traffic counter and Kim Hathaway was waiting to speak with Rod Hart immediately.   Helene told Kimmy that Fallan was still hysterical and crying in her vehicle, someone needed to speak with her to calm her down.  Helene went to speak with Fallan, in Fallan’s vehicle where it was now parked in the secondary inspection area.

Helene said when she got to parking lot, Oka Dick (security person), Mr Boots, and Nancy Davis, Kim Hathaway all were with Fallan.  Fallan was crying and told Helene that the CBSA and VACIS team had screamed at Fallan ‘we know how you people are, we are going to find something’.   or ‘ you know what we think of you people (Mohawks)’.

Helene did not realize Fallan was pregnant. She looked cold, scared, fearful, and Helene felt uncomfortable to see her cry so deeply.

10:13 am When Kim Hathaway attempted to take photos, the CBSA and VACIS team (maybe 4) were actually posing, dancing around like buffoons, and laughing at Kim.  Helene was ‘not impressed’.  Kim asked for badge number of VACIS team and he responded ‘12345′.

10:14 am Kakwerais asked Helene, did you think VACIS and CBSA were afraid when Fallan and her family gathered?

Helene said no way, it was not enjoyable to watch the VACIS team and CBSA disrespect, laugh at, and make fun of the Mohawks that gathered around the CBSA  port in Akwesasne.

10:19 am Helene said that in 2005, CBSA agents wore badges without velcro.  She said that the VACIS team and CBSA agents that were posing and dancing, wore coveralls and their badge numbers were hidden with their coats.

The chair just asked Helene if the VACIS team wore protective gear regarding XRay machines.

Helene said she is not familiar with the equipment for the VACIS team, regarding a dosing meter.   While Helene was at CBSA port in Akwesasne, she only saw the VACIS team twice.  She said that  CBSA never received training regarding safety and radiation around the VACIS machine.

10:27 am Helene said she told the VACIS team that they must provide their badge numbers when asked for them, then she walked away from the VACIS team.  The VACIS team never seemed concerned for their safety, because they were posing, dancing, and laughing at the Mohawks that were gathered around Fallan at the CBSA port in Akwesasne (cornwall island ontario, kawehnoke).

Helene went to the mohawk security office, and watched the VACIS TEAM silliness on the video tape.  Oka Dick was with Helene.  The scene was being escalated by the VACIS team and some of the CBSA agents.  The CBSA radios (all officers hear all officers) stated that ‘VACIS team wants armed escort, off the reserve’.  Helene stated she thought the VACIS team and some of her fellow CBSA agents’ actions towards the Mohawks, made her think “they were morons, cranking each other up, into a stupor”.

It’s now 10:31 am and we are breaking 15 minutes.

English speakers and especially government agencies that work under British corporations of Canada and the U.S.A. often refer to the various locations of Akwesasne,  as ‘Cornwall Island, Ontario’, ‘St. Regis, Quebec’, ‘Snye, Quebec’, ‘Hogansburg NY’, ‘Akwesasne, NY’, ‘Akwesasne, Ontario’, or ‘Akwesasne Quebec’.  English speakers also mistakenly refer to Onkwehonwe as ‘Mohawk’, ‘First Nation’, ‘Aboriginal’, ‘Native’, ‘Indiginous’, ‘Citizen’, and ‘Member’ of the British corporations of Canada and U.S.A.

The Original free people that were born in The Americus Empire, that speak Kanienkehaka, call themselves Onkwehonwe.  Today’s generation of Onkwehonwe are often taught the english language as a first language, so they also find it challenging to discover their origins, to learn Kanienkehake, and to even get access to their own cultural, historical, and spiritual knowledge about and from their own Onkwehonwe ancestors.

One of the biggest challenges today for Onkwehonwe, is to navigate around and through hundreds of British corporations that continue their plans to fully assimilate every last Onkwehonwe, to become a citizen of any of their own corporations.  The U.S.A., U.S. , United States, and United States of America are also a British corporation.  It’s inspirational to realize that Onkwehonwe are still communicating in their own language, enjoying a peaceful spiritual existence, while refusing to become fully assimilated citizens of British corporations that force their own cold wars onto their own citizens and properties.

Here is an example of a typical day for Onkwehonwe with homes on Kawehno:ke (english refer to as cornwall island, ontario).

We let our family & friends know the exact time that we will be leaving our house to go shop / visit / attend meetings.  We let them know exactly where we are going and what time we expect to travel through the U.S. or Canada border checkpoint.  We all have safety plans created, in case any of the border agents decide to molest us in any way ( stop us from returning home, stop us from our planned travel, arrest, shackle, cage, pepper spray, shoot, move us to unknown locations against our will, threaten us ).  Some of our family and friends in Akwesasne have been abused in such terrible ways, that the thought of traveling through the border checkpoints, is a stressful experience.

I never take any of my own vehicles to the Cornwall C.B.S.A. checkpoint, because I never know when they will decide to steal our vehicles and demand a ransom of $1000.00 or more.

Most of us travel in groups, in a vehicle that already paid a ransom to C.B.S.A. one or more times.   I feel sad for my family and friends that are forced to travel through C.B.S.A. cornwall checkpoint, because many of them have had C.B.S.A. bullies steal their vehicles many times, over and over again, while demanding a ransom of $1000.00 or more each time, before they return the stolen vehicles.  They are most unfortunate, because they must travel through to pickup their children from school activities.  Some of them have been forced to move away because they can no longer afford to meet the demands of the cornwall C.B.S.A. bullies.

When we make it through the U.S. or Canada border, we contact our family & friends again to let them know we are close to our final destination.

For those of us that live on Kawehno:ke, we are constantly recorded by the government agencies of U.S. and Canada.  They typically will produce the video and photographs when they want to arrest Onkwehonwe, for not paying taxes to their governments.  They typically destroy or lose those videos and photographs when anyone questions damages, physical harm, and even death that may have been caused by abuse from the government agents.

I am inviting all Onkwehonwe to share their border travel experiences here, in the comments section.  Kanienkehaka posts are most  appreciated too.  I can’t allow swearing or violence in the comments, so we probably won’t be seeing anything from the local media, cbsa union agents in the comments here.  If you want to see what the cbsa union agents, rcmp, and other miserable government agents comment about, you can find them in most of the local media websites. The Cornwall RCMP, provides journalist services for mainstream local media.

I’ll post some of the ones that my friends and family share too.  We tend to make fun of the situation, because it helps us to deal with the prolonged daily stress of being interrogated and threatened by miserable border agents.  Not every border agent is nasty, but like every family and group – they always have at least one that likes to make it known, just how nasty they can be.

Click to View Akwesasne on Yahoo Maps.

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For four years, Davis has been in and out of federal courts, regarding the Canadian Border Services Agency CBSA ( A Canadian Union)  be held accountable, for their violation of Human Rights. Davis is a young mother from Akwesasne.

Davis has been in and out of Federal Courts 4 years. It has been 4 years since the November 18th 2005 incident. She has been in the Federal Court fighting the Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice Canada since February 2009. The Attorney General of Canada & Department of Justice Canada, have been trying to quash this case from proceeding to the Tribunal for further inquiry/ investigation. Davis was successful at getting this case to proceed to the Tribunal, even after 4 attempts of the Attorney General & Department Justice of Canada, trying to stop it from proceeding to The Tribunal.

The Akwesasne community was forced to experience intimidation, harassment, and abuse from CBSA Union Workers, on a daily basis. Many in Akwesasne, have reason to beleive that when they filed complaints against the chronic abusers from CBSA, that they were ignored, discredited, and many of their filed complaints were actually destroyed (tossed into the garbage can).

Earlier this year, in May 2009, CBSA left their post on Kawehno:ke (aka Cornwall Island), when the Akwesasne community gathered around the CBSA building to state they can not allow the CBSA abusers to carry guns in their community. Akwesasne residents stated that their human rights complaints were being thrown away into the garbage, ignored, and even made fun of, by the accused CBSA agents. CBSA responded by leaving their building and asked that the Seaway Corporation hire all surrounding police and military agencies to barracade every road leading to and from Kawehno:ke.

When my husband and I were on the north edge of the bridge leading out of Kawehno:ke (aka Cornwall Island), to Cornwall Ontario, we were met by a road barracade full of Cornwall Police. The Police approached our vehicle, we rolled down our windows and they told us that they would allow us to leave, but they would never allow us to ever return back to our home on Kawehno:ke. The police even laughed after he saw the shocked looked on our faces.

So, I must say that I am very proud of Davis. Her path is not an easy, popular, or pretty one.

FILE NO: T1342-7208

GROUNDS: Age, Race, Sex

LOCATION:  NAV Canada Training Centre – Cornwall Ontario

Davis v. Canada Border Services Agency

HEARING DATES:
November 9, 10, 12, 13
November 30 – December 4
December 14 – 18

Rescheduled 3rd Time!  November 30th to December 18th   Click for Details

START TIMES:
9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This inquiry is open to the public. Akwesasne Community is Welcome to Attend.  Driving Directions and Map to NAV CANADA Centre is below:
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This afternoon, one of the obelisks was removed from the center of Kanatakon village.  A big backhoe dug the earth out from around the obelisk, lifted it to a trailer, and it was taken away.  Their was a deep hole in the earth, where the obelisk was removed.  A tall post with the Kaswentha and Two Row Wampum flags were placed in the spot and the earth was packed down around it. 

Here is a picture showing the old British obelisk before it was removed from the Lands of Onkwehonwe (aka Akwesasne, aka Kanatakon).   

British Obelisk removed out of Akwesasne Kanatakon (aka st. regis)

British Obelisk removed out of Akwesasne Kanatakon (aka st. regis)

Mike Mitchell, the grand chief was on the local news tonight and he stated that we will invoke our inherent aboriginal right to manage our own land.

Peter Van Loan stated that he will basically label all Mohawks as criminals when we choose to manage our own land.

I’ve heard a wide mix of reactions from Onkwehonwe, to Mike Mitchell’s recent public statements, regarding our bridges and land, here in Akwesasne.

Some of my friends, family, and neighbors in Akwesasne, are opposed to Onkwehonwe being used to work for the Canadian government. Many of them say it is fear mongering to build borders and walls up around our lands.  They hope to stop any form of European assimilation for as long as they can.

Some of my Onkwehonwe neighbors, friends, and family state they will just be glad when they can travel freely over the bridges without fear of surrounding military and police barricading us into our island again.  They don’t care how it happens, just as long as they can travel safely to and from their jobs, medical appointments, school, or any other type of travel at any time.   Many are still being ignored when they spoke out and continue to speak out, about past abuse from cbsa union agents.

I also have Onkwehonwe friends that stated they will be relieved when anyone is back at the current abandoned cbsa building, checking vehicles and travelers.  Some are willing to go into training so they can work at the border checkpoint and earn enough income to care for their families.

We have a diverse mix of beliefs, emotions, and experience, here in Akwesasne.  It’s good to see that everyone is still communicating and working together during times of crisis.

What is your reaction to recent public comments about Akwesasne?

Kanietakeron attended a meeting on Sunday September 19th, in the early afternoon with CBSA, James Ransom, Mr. Mitchell, and 4 other Onkwehonwe men from Akwesasne. They met to negotiate how they could get the cornwall police to stop barracading the Seaway International Bridge leading to Kawehno:ke. While they were in their meeting, Onkwehonwe gathered at the bridge blockade to find out why the cornwall police were barracading the bridge. The cornwall police refused to allow Onkwehonwe to return to their homes on Kawehno:ke and stated that the Akwesasne Police hired them to blockade the bridge. video: cornwall police statement

CBSA stated that they will continue stealing vehicles from Onkwehonwe and demanding ransom of $1000.00 for each vehicle they steal from Onkwehonwe.

videos shot by Monica Peters on location. copyright 2009 Monica Peters. All Rights Reserved

Kanietakeron discusses CBSA meeting pt. 3 of 3

Kanietakeron discusses CBSA meeting pt. 2 of 3

Kanietakeron discusses CBSA meeting pt. 3 of 3