The Jay Treaty Border Alliance says it’s disappointed in Canada’s updated travel advisory urging First Nations people to carry a passport when entering the United States<\/p>\n
An advocacy group comprised of Indigenous governments in Canada and the United States\u00a0is taking issue with Canada\u2019s latest travel advisory for First Nations people\u00a0crossing the border.<\/p>\n
The federal government is now urging First Nations people to carry a passport in addition to a status card when crossing the border<\/a>\u00a0by land or water, according to an updated travel advisory for the U.S. that appeared last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a news release, the Jay Treaty Border Alliance expressed \u201cprofound disappointment\u201d with Canada\u2019s latest travel advisory, while going on to state\u00a0that the inherent right of First Nations to cross the Canada-U.S. border \u2014 using identification affirming their Indigenous identity, as recognized under the Jay Treaty of 1794 \u2014 is \u201cparamount.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuidance advising the use of Canadian passports undermines this right and stands in stark contrast to the principle of First Nations\u2019 self-determination,\u201d the JTBA said in its release.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Government of Canada website now says that acceptance of all status cards is “entirely at the discretion of U.S. officials,” while reiterating that status cards and secure status cards aren’t accepted travel documents for air travel.\u00a0<\/p>\n When crossing the Canada-U.S. border, First Nations travellers are strongly urged to carry a valid passport and use a valid machine-readable secure status card, the website says.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Assembly of First Nations, a national organization representing 634 First Nations across Canada, has also taken issue with the updated travel advisory.\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement\u00a0last week, AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said Canada\u2019s updated travel advisory is \u201cdirectly counter\u201d to the inherent right of First Nations people to cross the border into the U.S. under the Jay Treaty.<\/p>\n Woodhouse Nepinak added that the right under the treaty recognizes that First Nations moved freely through their traditional territories for \u201cceremony, for trade, for harvesting and for family.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat right must be recognized and upheld by governments on both sides of the border, which was not our making,\u201d said Woodhouse Nepinak.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe support the position of the Jay Treaty Border Alliance that advising the use of Canadian passports undermines our inherent right and the principle of self-determination.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call on Canada to work with First Nations and particularly the Jay Treaty Border Alliance to resolve border crossing issues with the United States in a manner that respects the nation-to-nation relationship and our inherent and treaty rights.\u201d<\/p>\n Concerns over Indigenous Peoples in Canada entering the U.S. have ramped up in recent weeks, amid reports that\u00a0a First Nations man was\u00a0detained<\/a> by\u00a0U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and later sent back to Canada.\u00a0<\/p>\n The man’s certificate of Indian status was seized by ICE, according to those same reports.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement, Indigenous Services Canada said it has been made aware that some people have recently reported the confiscation, or damage, of status cards in the U.S. It said the department can issue emergency status cards, and will expedite requests from people who have been affected.\u00a0<\/p>\n