Mother Earth Journal

By Valerie Taliman

NEDROW, N.Y. – Travel plans of the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team, set to depart July 11 to compete in the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships in England – the “equivalent of the Olympics” for lacrosse – is being thwarted by the U.S. State Department and the Department of Homeland Security.

The players are traveling on passports issued by the Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois Confederacy. But  the federal agencies stepped in wanting approval over the clearance for their departure and return through U.S. Immigration before processing visas by Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The land of the Iroquois Confederacy, comprised of the Onondaga, Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora and Cayuga nations span part of New York State, and part of Ontario, Canada. Some members of the team reside in Canada, raising questions as to how they could even possess or travel on a U.S. passport.

The British Consulate notified the team late July 9 that their travel visas were delayed awaiting assurance from the state department that they will be allowed to leave the country and be allowed back into the United States following their 14-day competition in Manchester, England.

The team is scheduled to play the opening game against England July 15. If the issue cannot be resolved immediately they won’t depart until the evening of July 13, leaving them no time to rest or practice before the opening game, which the team realistically fears will threaten their ability to win.

“This delay has now become extremely urgent and it must be corrected by July 12th or all the practice and preparation will be wasted, and these young men’s hopes and dreams of will be trampled,” said Percy Abrams, the National’s executive director. “We’re urging all our supporters to contact the White House staff at 202.456.4771 to urge the Department of Homeland Security to allow us clearance so that our team can compete.”

The delay creates an enormous financial burden since travel arrangements for airline tickets, hotels, lodging, meals, and transportation must all be changed, costing the team and family members more than $23,000.  The Nationals fund raise all year long for the $300,000 budget necessary for them to compete in the world championships, a distinction that is hard-earned.

“Our young athletes are competing at the highest level of competition against other countries,” said Denise Waterman, on the team’s board of directors. “They are excellent role models and have worked all year to prepare, so we hope this gets resolved quickly. The great irony is that the game of lacrosse was founded by our people on Iroquois territory, so we hope others can respect the history and origins of game, and not impede our team from competition.”

Three weeks ago, the Haudenosaunee sent notice to the British Consulate in New York requesting permission for application for visas. The Iroquois Nationals are traveling on passports issued by the Haudenosaunee, or Iroquois Confederacy, comprised of the Onondaga, Seneca, Mohawk, Oneida, Tuscarora and Cayuga nations, who have used their passports to travel internationally for over 30 years.

Though their passports were widely accepted in the past, the British Consulate notified the team two days ago that they would only issue visas with written assurance from the Department of Homeland Security regarding clearance. That same day, the state department advised the Iroquois National’s legal adviser they could expedite U.S. passports for the team to travel to Manchester, but would not provide clearance to travel on Haudenosaunee passports.

“We cannot do that because we are a sovereign nation. We are our own people,” said Waterman. “We are participating in an international tournament, and to play in an international tournament, you have to be a country. We’ve been recognized by this organization as a nation with our own citizens, our own land, and our own sovereignty. We have been sending teams to international competition since 1990 and have never before had a problem traveling to Japan, England, and Australia.”

The Confederacy established their formal government before the United States and Canada were countries, and is recognized as an independent nation with homelands that straddle the U.S. and Canadian border. The Confederacy has been in negotiations with Homeland Security on travel documents the past several years, and they are concerned that the current situation may dampen that relationship.

Onondaga attorney Tonya Gonnella Frichner, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, is urgently working to help resolve the issue.

“We respect that there are issues with borders and security, and we want to meet all the criteria of any government, but we’re also asking for an accommodation of our own credentials,” she said. “The Iroquois Nationals represent the Iroquois Nation, and they are traveling on Haudenosaunee credentials because that’s who we are representing. It wouldn’t make sense to travel on the on the passports of our competitors. These outstanding athletes – indigenous peoples of North America – should not be blocked from returning to our own territory.”

Oren Lyons, Onondaga Faithkeeper and a former All-American lacrosse goalie, said lacrosse is called the “Creator’s game,” in their culture. “When you talk about lacrosse, you’re talking about the lifeblood of the Six Nations. The game is ingrained into our culture and our lives. This is our game and our gift to the world.”

Lyons – an author, former college professor and international advocate for indigenous rights who helped draft the U.N. Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – has traveled to many countries on a Haudenosaunee passport for three decades, and is hopeful the situation will eventually be resolved in their favor. The travel delays, however, will likely impact their ability to play at their best due to a lack of rest before the opening game.

The compelling story of the Iroquois Nationals will be featured in the next issue of Sports Illustrated. For more information and photos, visit the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team’s website at http://iroquoisnationals.org/.

Read today’s news report in Indian Country Today here.

Read Syracuse.com for a related news article here.