Do the Mohawks have a point?

[Machjo]

Hmmm... a government normally doesn't sing treaties with its citizens. So by implication, the Mohawks are in fact sovereign.

Though this treaty was betwee the Mohawks, Britain and the USA, it still applies to Canada today since any treaty signed between Britain that would pertain to Canada would naturally be passed on to Canada.

 

[Machjo]

A part of the trety dealing with duties here:

"
The river Mississippi shall, however, according to the treaty of peace, be entirely open to both parties; and it is further agreed, that all the ports and places on its eastern side, to whichsoever of the parties belonging, may freely be resorted to and used by both parties, in as ample a manner as any of the Atlantic ports or places of the United States, or any of the ports or places of His Majesty in Great Britain All goods and merchandize whose importation into His Majesty's said territories in America shall not be entirely prohibited, may freely, for the purposes of commerce, be carried into the same in the manner aforesaid, by the citizens of the United States, and such goods and merchandize shall be subject to no higher or other duties than would be payable by His Majesty's subjects on the importation of the same from Europe into the said territories.
And in like manner all goods and merchandize whose importation into the United States shall not be wholly prohibited, may freely, for the purposes of commerce, be carried into the same, in the manner aforesaid, by His Majesty's subjects, and such goods and merchandize shall be subject to no higher or other duties than would be payable by the citizens of the United States on the importation of the same in American vessels into the Atlantic ports of the said States.
And all goods not prohibited to be exported from the said territories respectively, may in like manner be carried out of the same by the two parties respectively, paying duty as aforesaid. No duty of entry shall ever be levied by either party on peltries brought by land or inland navigation into the said territories respectively, nor shall the Indians passing or repassing with their own proper goods and effects of whatever nature, pay for the same any impost or duty whatever.
"

 

[Machjo]

Of course remember that any reference to Great Britain above includes Canadian territory as Canada didn't exist yet at the time of the Treaty.

 

[MissAnnika]

Mohawks have a point, it's at the end of the hair

 

[TenPenny]

Yes it is, and it straddles the Canadian/u.s. border

And that's the rub - it's become a no-man's land for smuggling between the two countries, because it straddles the border.

And that's the reason that most of the Mohawks don't want armed border guards.
A simpler method would be to step back and have the Canadian Border set up at the boundary of the reserve.

 

[dumpthemonarchy]

johnnyhangover

perhaps the guards should carry bows and arrows ;just to be more..... "traditional" .

Yeah, goof thing there's no rule that says they must live a traditional life to keep their traditional treaties. But they of course use very untraditional technology to live their lives and assert their rights. The modern world hasn't invalidated any laws made in a very different world. But that's a technicality.

 

[wulfie68]

And that's the rub - it's become a no-man's land for smuggling between the two countries, because it straddles the border.

And that's the reason that most of the Mohawks don't want armed border guards.
A simpler method would be to step back and have the Canadian Border set up at the boundary of the reserve.

But there's also an inconsistency being shown by the Mohawks in allowing the US Customs and Border officials to be armed and not the Canadians. If they don't want either one armed, then thats one thing but it almost appears like they're playing favorites. A

And I agree, that setting up shop outside the reserve might be simpler but at the same time it says the government is abdicating responsibility of that area which isn't a message any national government is going to want to send.

 

[Risus]

But there's also an inconsistency being shown by the Mohawks in allowing the US Customs and Border officials to be armed and not the Canadians. If they don't want either one armed, then thats one thing but it almost appears like they're playing favorites. A

And I agree, that setting up shop outside the reserve might be simpler but at the same time it says the government is abdicating responsibility of that area which isn't a message any national government is going to want to send.

The inconsistence is because the Mohawks have had a history of distrust with the Canadian authorities, and not the Americans.

 

[CDNBear]

The inconsistence is because the Mohawks have had a history of distrust with the Canadian authorities, and not the Americans.

Just an opinion here...

That's because the US says "STFU and sit down before you get smacked out." Canada says "What can we get for you today?"