BY: SHANNON BURNS

INDIAN TIME - Vol. 24 #13 - Onerahtokha / April 6, 2006 Edition - Page 1 & 6

The Mohawk Council of Akwesasne has been investigating the Canada Customs Cornwall Island port for several months and plans to submit their evidence of harassment to the Canadian Human Rights Commission later this month.

MCA has been actively collecting information from community members regarding any incidents of abuse or unprofessional behavior at the Customs since last Fall. At that time a girl in her early twenties was pulled over by Customs officials and she watched as her vehicle was torn apart and put through a machine that x-rays the vehicle. She was not given a reason for the extensive search and believed she was being harassed or provoked. The incident sparked widespread criticism of the Cornwall Island Customs officers, who walked off the job that day claiming to be in fear of their safety as a small group of the girl's friends and family stood on the other side of the fence surrounding the port, watching the incident unfold and waiting for the girl to be let go.

The Canada Border Services Agency conducted an investigation of their Cornwall Island site to determine if the officers were in fact in any danger. They concluded that they were not.

Since that incident, MCA has been putting together an investigative file that includes personal accounts of incidences of alleged abuse or harassment at the Cornwall Island Customs port.

Despite the investigation, MCA said the harassment is still going on and their investigator continues to receive new complaints of Customs officers allegedly overstepping their power.

Last Thursday, the individual compiling the investigative file gave a presentation at MCA's general meeting and noted that the submissions they've received show that the individuals who seem to be most often harassed are 20-25 year old females driving newer model vehicles.

MCA is asking individuals to continue reporting incidences of harassment to them, but to also "remain as calm as possible" during such incidences.

MCA hopes to see the issues resolved and has made some suggestions as to how the situation at the Cornwall Island port can be improved. One way, they said, would be to hire more Native employees. Another would be to implement cultural sensitivity training, taught by a Native individual. It has also been suggested that certain Customs officers be transferred to another port, as the complaints MCA has received identify the same few officers over and over.