Now UK Prevents Iroquois Lacrosse Team From Traveling

Percy Abrams, executive director for the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse team, and his passport (Bebeto Matthews/AP)

Just after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton cleared Iroquois tribe members to travel outside of the U.S. with their tribe-issued passports for an international lacrosse competition, the Iroquois Nationals faced another set back as the United Kingdom announced it still wouldn't accept their passports. Team manager Ashley Jemison told NY1, "It was a little bit of a shock when we thought that we did have an arrangement, an agreement with them, that things were going to be okay once we got the part that we needed to take care of. But you know, we're still staying positive."

The team was supposed to leave for the World Lacrosse Championships on Sunday, but the British authorities said it wouldn't issue visas since the U.S. wouldn't allow the tribe members back into the country with their Haudenosaunee passports. The team also declined the State Department's offer to expedite U.S. passports for them because it would be an insult to their culture. With Clinton's intervention, the team thought the State Department's one-time waiver to travel to the U.K. and back would solve their problems, but now they are stuck trying to figure out another way to the competition. One complicating factor is that nine of the team members are Canadian and would need Canadian waivers.

The team will miss its match against England (also the tournament's opener). The Daily News reports that "organizers have expressed a willingness to reschedule games if the team can figure out a way to get across the Atlantic." Additionally, "The delays have cost the team $25,000 a day in hotels, meals and airline change fees. Director James Cameron donated $50,000 to ease the pain."

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By Jen Chung in News on July 15, 2010 9:50 AM

Comments [rss]

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jaja007

Well, if they would have taken their reparations money (aka casino proceeds) and invested it in a US/Canadian-style modern passport system instead of drinking it all away we wouldn't be having this conversation!

jaycjay

aving searched news stories from Canadian and UK sources, I can't find any that say that the fact that some of them live in Canada has any bearing at all. The U.S. waiver would allow any of them to return to this country. The British government isn't allowing any of them in; it's not saying that applies only to Canadians.

Every statement from British authorities says essentially that they need valid U.S. or Canadian passports, because the Confederacy passports don't comply with current requirements.

For example: "Like all those seeking entry into the U.K., they must present a document that we recognize as valid to enable us to complete our immigration and other checks."

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/808091

And "Travel document validity is regularly reviewed and updated" and documents must comply with the latest "international civil aviation standards."

http://www.vancouversun.com/travel/Iroquois+lacrosse+team+still+stymied/3282210/story.html

Cannibal

Goddammit the f ing Native Americans INVENTED lacross, now you won't let them even play that?!?!?!

America, you're working my last nerve...

jaycjay

They can still easily play it the way they did when they invented it -- never crossing any oceans.

Think2wice

First it's the colonists, then it's the mother country.

GoldenRuler

yeah, they should just put up with it. I mean, it's not like they have some chip on their shoulder from, you know, their people being forced from their land, nearly exterminated and so forth. Just take the passports! What's a few hundred years of continued maltreatment to protest against?

are you people out of your minds?

pinball29

Somethings fishy here. Dont tell me Hillary fucking Clinton didnt know that 9 of these people were Canadian before putting herself in the middle of this media shitstorm. There is so much that just isnt right w/ this story, and I think more agendas are involved beside just playing lacrosse.

RoboticInsides

One would think they would have thought of that before? Honestly, they shouldn't need permission to come back, seeing as their territory is on this continent, but come on guys, get your shiz together.

jaycjay

The don't need "permission" to come back, they need a passport. Just as any one of us carrying a US passport would.

iceberg

End">http://radgeek.com/gt/2007/12/17/international_apartheid/">End international apartheid now!

Michael

This is ridiculous.

ItchyGoiter

Nine of them is Canadian?

Kelles

Canadian is the new cool American

Cannibal

you is illiterate!!

Kojak

"U.S. passports for them because it would be an insult to their culture"

..... JUST TAKE THE DAMN US PASSPORT AND BE DONE WITH IT. Unless you want to set up your own embassy in Washington, Consulate in NY, Seat on the UN General assembly, etc, etc etc. If you are indeed a nation, its best to accept all the responsibilities of being one.

Otherwise, you can stay right here.

hungryghoast

You don't get it.

Kojak

No. I completely understand why they want their own passport. But given today's realities, its impractical to expect every country to accept a passport of every Native American Tribe.

Impractical, but not impossible. But problems are bound to crop up.