Indian Time - A Voice from the Eastern Door

November 21, 2008

Letter to the Editor,

It would be favorable in this community if other community members would openly write letters to the editor to express all the hushed up information regarding all the issues in our community, I will not express borders here because we have no borders but leaderships believe we do. Some community members have come to believe the same, particularly when we all hear, at times, this expression: “We cannot help you because you live over there….” Who asked us if a border could be intersecting our homes? When this line was set up I believe that we were exempt from a border internal of the Reservation because those that agreed to this have long passed away and the present day leaders allow our community to be relentlessly dissected and divided year after year. I believe this can all be stopped if we all openly spoke up about this issue. Yes, we need policing and laws on our territory because of the drugs and the larger population but we need our own laws and not laws of the US and Canada. If these entities (US and Canada) believe laws are being broken than this should be enforced on their territory and not ours by pitting Indian against Indian when our police forces have been included into the IBET organization with the belief this is good for our community. No community members that I have heard or spoken to agreed to allow our police agencies to join such an organization. Our leaders should concur with all community members for anything that affects each and every one of us. Only when we cross the border do we find out that we have broken some law that was put in place secretly without our knowledge and we have to fight in courts to find that it is too late to argue our rights. Not only are we all smugglers in Akwesasne now but we are a danger to both the US and Canada because we allow transportation of cigarettes on our territory and cause danger to our own as well as visitors when our own police forces chase these vehicles for the sake of external laws. What the H is this? We should be enraged with the leaders in Canada and the US and especially our own leaders for not having the foresight of this affect of an organization such as IBET (Integrated Border Enforcement Team). Three innocent people have been needlessly killed on our territory. Tobacco is a legal substance but is viewed by Canada as ‘contraband’ because they feel they inherently deserve monies for our tobacco products without regard to our inherent rights. The bottom line to all this tragedy is this is all ABOUT LOST REVENUE (MONEY) FOR CANADA!! Are we not making the right choices when we elect the leaders? Are we electing people who are lazy, indifferent, unconcerned and they take the easy way out by allowing external forces to dictate what a leader needs to do rather than to take the hard road and lead? If this is the case, then, this must be embezzling of the community. All community members need to make a stand to regain our rights, respect, and our liberty. Yes, we are worthy human beings surviving in a world that has changed but not by our hands but by the invasion of the Europeans ages ago and the enforcement of their laws upon us.

I would like to read other opinions and ideas written in our local newspaper the ‘Indian Time’ just as many of you who have expressed to me that you look for my letters to the editor where our own people do not have to be afraid to express themselves openly. Where we can read a page in this paper that carries truths (information of responsibilities of official that are not followed up or addressed properly) of importance about this community and efforts to resolve matters instead of sweeping this under the rug and staying mum for if you speak you will suffer some consequence, this consequence is like the ‘boogie man’ that I learned years ago as you have learned was not real so maybe this consequence is not real. We need an avenue of communications where one does not need to be afraid of retributions, as in job losses. Free and open for everyone to be allowed awareness of what is going on in and around our neighborhoods and with our” government officials”. These “Tribal officials” should be removed for lack of disclosures and leadership when indicated. These “Tribal officials” ran for these positions having full knowledge that they are subject to public opinions and views such as the past Governor Spitzer of NYS.

Disgusted and Sadden,

Agnes Terrance