Iroquois Nation

They told me that if I voted for McCain that native Americans would be... no, they didn't - this is far too weird for anyone to have told me:

The Iroquois national lacrosse team was hoping to spend Monday getting acclimated in England as it prepared for its first game in this year’s world championships.

Instead, the team was stuck in a hotel in Midtown Manhattan, missing the visas needed to travel abroad. And the stakes are bigger than a game: what began late last week as a documentation dispute with the British consulate became on Monday a debate over American Indian sovereignty.

Playing international sports, it turns out, is a lot more complicated when players have to convince the State Department that their passports are legitimate.

“There have been hurdles every step of the way,” said Ansley Jemison, the team’s general manager.

The Iroquois team, known as the Nationals, represents the six Indian nations that comprise the Iroquois Confederacy, which the Federation of International Lacrosse considers to be a full member nation, just like the United States or Canada. The Nationals enter this year’s tournament ranked fourth in the world.

The Nationals’ 50-person delegation had planned to travel to Manchester, England, on Sunday on their own tribal passports, as they have done for previous international competitions, team officials said.

But on Friday, the British consulate informed the team that it would only issue visas to the team upon receiving written assurance from the United States government that the Iroquois had been granted clearance to travel on their own documents and would be allowed back into the United States. Neither the State Department nor the Department of Homeland Security would offer any such promise.

“Lacrosse is our game — we are the originators, we invented the game, there are 60 countries that play our game,” said Denise Waterman, a member of the team’s board of directors. “And now we can’t go to a tournament that’s honoring our game? It’s almost unbelievable that this is happening.”

Spokesmen for the Department of Homeland Security and the British consulate said that they would not comment on specific cases. A spokeswoman for the State Department would only say that the Iroquois team has been offered expedited United States passports, but they declined that offer.

Let's first ask, when was the last time this national team traveled abroad on their own passports?  They may be getting tripped up by new passport rules which were announced back in 2007 and fully implemented as of June 1, 2009, all meant to enhance border security.  This article says that "As recently as last year, colleagues used their Iroquois passports to travel to Japan and Sweden", but last year may have been before June 1.

Secondly, the Secretary of State is from New York, for heaven's sake, or at least pretends to be.  Get Hillary on the line!

WHAT ARE THE RULES?  This is from the Times:

But the State Department said Monday that federal law does not allow a tribal document to be used in lieu of a United States passport when traveling outside the United States. A spokeswoman said that an October 2008 internal directive emphasized that policy, though it noted that other countries had sometimes recognized such documents.

I am not so sure the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is the driving force here, so I will trail off inconclusively.

Comments

[Ignatz]

--They told me that if I voted for McCain that native Americans would be... no, they didn't - this is far too weird for anyone to have told me this:--

LOL.
This Maguire guy should have his own blog or something.

[narciso the harpoon]

Didn't the Iriqouis back the British in the last unpleasantness back in 1812, shouldn't they have taken that into account

[Janet]

Perhaps the Iroquois are having problems because Obama is a Crow Indian? LUN Tribal jealousy? Barack Black Eagle...

"...was adopted into the nation under the Crow name "One Who Helps People Throughout the Land."....not the Iroquois I guess!

[Porchlight]

Instead, the team was stuck in a hotel in Midtown Manhattan

The Iroquois Hotel? Too much to hope for I guess.

[Danube of Thought]

Why am I not surprised by any of this?

[Janet]

Maybe the Iroquois could adopt Obama and name him "One Who Helps People Get-out-of the Land"

[Porchlight]

Maybe the Iroquois could adopt Obama and name him "One Who Helps People Get-out-of the Land"

And-Into-The-Land, too, sadly.

[JM Hanes]

LOL, Janet!

[Janet]

This is related to absolutely nothing, but it is funny (I was looking it up for someone)

Jack Yoest's 10 rules for dating my daughter

[Neo]

They told me if I voted for Chester A. Arthur that we would stop having Indian treaties.

[Frau Indianerfrau]

Al Gonquin, tribal lacrosse armorer, said
"It's all about taking our wampum and our dual citizenship."

[PDinDetroit]

Janet - I have discussed, in detail, rules 4,9,10 with my daughter's boyfriend.

After taking him shooting the first time, I offhandedly explained some additional "neat" gun facts. One of which was the "accidental shootings occur most frequently while cleaning a firearm". I then stated "as long as my daughter remains a virgin, I will not invite you over for a gun cleaning party".

His Response: "Uh, OK. Will Do"

I just hope it wasn't too difficult to clean out his underwear after that ;)

[Janet]

You're cruel PD! Poor guy...

[Pofarmer]

Too bad they aren't illegal Mexicans, no problemo. This must underscores our bizarro immigration policy.

[LouP]

Uh, why is the world championship lacrosse being played in England? Instead of the Iroqouis Nation, where it was invented?

Inquiring minds can be a real nuisance...

[mojo]

Gee, ya mean my Northern Miwok passport won't get me into England anymore?

[Jack Yoest]

Janet, thank you for linking to the dating rules. I find them useful now my girls are going thru high school.

Here's the proper credit to the originator with an updated version:
http://www.charmaineyoest.com/2005/10/w_bruce_camerons_8_rules_and_i.php

Cheers,
Jack and Charmaine Yoest

[Justafewminutes]

That is done all the time in North America. North America for many natives is their 'country.' They didn't in the past and don't now recognize borders on the land that they have always traveled freely whether it's America, Canada or Mexico.

If the British need permission to admit natives from North America maybe they're not really in charge.

[squaredance]

So, is this a case where they must sway their earls before plane?

oh and, obviously, they will be staying at the Trump International.

Let us hope that they do not sue.

[Jim Rhoads a/k/a vjnjagvet]

Or Sioux.

[MaryD]

Janet, I believe that Obumbles has already been given the name of 'Chief Running Bird' because he's so full of shit he can't get off the ground. (Old joke, I know, but you made me do it. :-)

[Replica Aigner Watches]

Your idea coincides with mine.and I think it's better.