Gambling dispute involves Quebec Mohawks

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Montreal, Que.

Internal violence that erupted this week on a New York Mohawk reserve could threaten the sovereignty of Indian bands near Montreal.

That's the warning from band councillor Davis Rice of the Kahnawake Mohawk band.

Rice told Windspeaker members of his Quebec based Mohawk band are "on edge" because of heated confrontations between U.S. Federal state troopers and two opposing

band forces on the Akwesasne Mohawk reserve, which straddles the U.S. Canadian boarder near Cornwall, Ont.

The leadership of Kahnawake Mohawk band near Montreal, 130 kilometres north of the Akwesasne reserve, warns military intervention is imminent if such action is requested

by Akwesasne chiefs.

"Anything going on over there ultimately affects us here. A number of Mohawks in Akwesasne have mentioned to us they are worried about what's going on there," said Rice.

"We share that same belief and are prepared to act if needed," he said.

Rice is confident the 8,000 Mohawks of Akwesasne can iron out their own problems but said the presence of U.S. Federal state troopers threatened Indian sovereignty.

"The bottom line is no outside jurisdiction. The Mohawk people are ready to take arms to defend their territory," he warned.

Beleaguered members in Akwesasne Reserve have been embroiled in an internal dispute after band factions clashed last June when state troopers raided the band's casino

operations, confiscated slot machines and charged members with illegal gambling.

A potentially volitive situation occurred when New York State troopers and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents subsequently blockaded reserve roads in July after

armed Mohawks moved in to protect the reserve from another raid.

When band members formed the Mohawk Security Force (MSF) to keep the peace, other Akwesasne band members aiming to stop the multi-million dollar gambling operations

on the reserve, reacted with violence.

On Aug. 27, a baseball bat-wielding mob torched a newly built casino with Molotov cocktails. One day later, sniper shots fired on another casino, prompted state troopers to

block off access to the reserve.

Reserve newspaper editor Doug George said band members, including the MSF, have been seen patrolling the reserve carrying fully automatic weapons, including

Chinese-made AK-47 machine guns, in preparation for an escalation in the violence.

American Mohawk Grand Chief Mike Mitchell, who has received death threats, declared a state of emergency last week, closing all band council offices except for emergency

business.

Later in the week, Mitchell met with MSF leaders to prevent further violence on the reserve.

He accused Mitchell of inciting band members to oppose a long-standing Indian practice of generating reserve revenue by using gambling casinos to attract Canadian tourists.

"It's a charge Mitchell has vehemently denied. Mitchell, declared a state of emergency closed band council office's on the Canadian side of the reserve last week.

Said Montour, "All the MSF wants to do is protect our sovereignty and the rights of the Mohawk people. We're not just talking about gambling we're fighting outside

intervention."

He said Mitchell has sided with U.S. Authorities who want to regulate the casino profits and change the reserve's gambling taxes.

The band's pro and anti-gambling factions, who are bitterly divided on the issue of gambling, both fear widespread violence could erupt over jurisdiction and reserve policy.