Haudenosaunee Passports - Are They Triggering A Security Problem?
Go to: Previous Article Next Article
It seems that U.S. passports are in the news a lot lately and recently there was an incident report involving the Iroquois lacrosse team. They were going to England to compete in the World Championships. They were not permitted to leave because they possessed Iroquois passports.
With members from both Canada and the United States, this team is comprised of Iroquois Native Americans who are part of the Iroquois Nation, which has been issuing their own passports to its members that show their unique Iroquois heritage. However, without an American or Canadian passport, they aren't being granted entrance into the United Kingdom, which is questioning the validity and legitimacy of such passports. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a one-time exception waiver for the team, so they could regain entrance into the United States after their tournament overseas. The UK did not accept this waiver.
There are a few different views on this matter. More and more, countries are taking the position that they will only accept official passports issued from the United States or Canada because since these native Americans are citizens, they should use the documents used by other citizens. There is also a security problem with the Iroquois passport as they do not have the anti-fraud features that are present on the other passports. This could put other travelers at risk if these passports fall into the hands of the wrong person.
There are others who feel that tradition has been for the Iroquois to issue their own passports for reasons of pride and these have always been sufficient in the past and their validity should be continued. However, we all know that times are changing and never before has the threat of terrorism been so great. While the Iroquois Nation feels they are being singled out and should not be considered a risk, the lack of anti-fraud technology on the passports make them a potential problem.
And yet another side of the argument claims that this is just another attack on the Native American identity. They feel that the Iroquois, ironically enough the creators of the game of lacrosse, are being taken for granted and subjected to this discrepancy because of their native heritage, and that forcing them to get a USA Passport quick is demeaning to the culture. This is where the coach of the team stands. He feels that they are being trapped in a corner where they either must abandon their Native identity or be forced to forfeit a chance at the National Championship title for a sport they themselves invented a thousand years ago.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
- Credit Cards A big selection of Cards in all flavors: Bad Credit Cards, Secured Cards, Prepaid Cards, Credit Cards for Canada, Low Interest Cards, etc -
Word Count: 463
Reduce Your Debts Without Bankruptcy. See How Much You Can Save. Free Debt Analysis
