Mohawks, Canadian officials mull solutions

CORNWALL ISLAND, Ontario — Canadian politicians once again toured Akwesasne Wednesday, talking to Mohawk leadership and trying to find a solution to the ongoing dispute between the tribe and the Canada Border Services Agency.

Several Members of Parliament came to discuss the conflict with the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne. Both sides seem to be leaning towards mediation as the only way to solve the problems between the Mohawks and the CBSA.

After a meeting with tribal officials, the MPs went back to Cornwall to further discuss the issues among themselves, according to Carla Ransom, executive assistant to Grand Chief Michael Mitchell.

"They're interested in hearing about what Akwesasne has been going through," Ms. Ransom said. "They've been consistently looking for ways to support the Akwesasne community."

Mediation is not a new idea; it is one the tribe has been suggesting since the beginning. However, a recent letter from Cornwall Mayor Robert Kilger to CBSA officials, MPs and the city council suggested that mediation might be the only way to resolve the dispute.

"Every effort must be made to resolve the outstanding dispute," Mr. Kilger said in his letter. "While considerable dialogue has been exchanged and meetings have been held during these past many months, we have yet to see any substantive progress having been made to resolve the current situation."

However, the Mohawks don't think the CBSA will find mediation any more acceptable now than they have in the past.

"Akwesasne has put that forward from the beginning and they have not responded," Ms. Ransom said.

The CBSA did not respond to repeated requests for comment.

The last meeting between the CBSA and the Mohawks ended suddenly, when both parties walked out.

Since the summer, the CBSA has been operating out of a temporary port of entry on Brookdale Avenue in the city of Cornwall. A dispute over the arming of CBSA officers at the station on Cornwall Island, which is part of the reservation, closed the bridge for six weeks in June and July. Both sides have been reluctant to concede their position, though Akwesasne residents were recently asked whether they would support the CBSA coming back, and if the officers should be armed.

The results of that survey are still being compiled, according to Ms. Ransom.