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| Written by ....posted by Frank David |
| Sunday, 11 July 2010 23:47 |
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July 11, 2010
Dear Friends,
The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team's travel documents were declared
unacceptable for travel by the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Homeland
Security at 4 pm, July 8, 2010. This is traumatic to the Iroquois Nationals' travel schedule and
budget. The Board of Directors, Travel Committee, Coaches, Staff and Team of almost 50
people are struggling to convince the Department of State and Homeland Security to accept
our travel documents so that our All-American team can compete as a nation against team
Canada, team USA, team England, team Australia and team Japan in the premiere Blue
Division of the Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) at the FIL World Lacrosse
Championships hosted by England at Manchester from July 15 to 24, 2010.
The game of De-hon-tshi-gwa' ehs (Lacrosse) has become an inspiration to a third
of the world's youth – 109 countries in all. The long-stick game is a gift to the world from
the Haudenosaunee, the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy. It would be strange – beyond
strange, indeed – if the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team, the national team of the
Haudenosaunee were denied participation in the World Lacrosse Championships by agencies
of the United States. We are perplexed by this position taken by the Obama Administration.
Since the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team's admittance to the Federation of
International Lacrosse in 1983, the team has participated in every world competition as a
member nation, flying our own colors, singing our own anthem and traveling on our own
Haudenosaunee passports to England (1985, 1994), Australia and Japan. As citizens we have
traveled internationally on our own passports since 1977. We do not take this issue of
passports lightly. We have traversed our request with the utmost respect for the sovereignty
of the nations involved. As Indigenous Peoples of North America, we have over 200 years of
treaties and international relations with our brother, the United States.
We need your support to help convince the U.S. to accommodate our travel to
Manchester, England. The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team and Team England are scheduled
to open the World Lacrosse Championships at 7:00 pm Thursday July 15th.
This is a call for support. We want to ensure that Native Peoples should not be
told they cannot leave or cannot return to their homelands.
Please contact the White House at 202.456.4771 to express your support for our
clearance to leave and return to participate in the World Lacrosse Championships in
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and two State Department officials, Kathleen Milton at
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and Lynn Sicade at
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.
Thank you for your support. When we win, you win.
Day na to,
Joagquisho, Oren R. Lyons
Honorary Chairman
Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team
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| Last Updated on Monday, 12 July 2010 00:00 |