The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne met with the Canadian Border Services Agency to discuss issues affecting border crossings on the reserve.

Mohawks are opposed to armed guards staffing a border station on tribal land. The station was shut down two months ago after Mohawk protests.

CBSA has since opened a temporary station, with armed guards, off the reserve. Grand Chief Mike Mitchell said the agency is moving too quickly without resolving key issues.

“We need them to invest three or four months to show us things can improve,” Mitchell told The Cornwall Standard-Freeholder. “So far our relationship has not improved and they don’t understand what we have to deal with."

The closure of the border station, and the Seaway International Bridge, had a negative impact on Mohawk businesses on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border.

Get the Story:
Mohawks need time and understanding before border officers can return to Akwesasne: Mitchell (The Cornwall Standard-Freeholder 7/31)

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