BY: THE ST. REGIS MOHAWK TRIBE / FROM INDIAN COUNTRY TODAY

INDIAN TIME - Vol. 24 #08 - Ennisko:wa / March 2, 2006 Edition - Page 5

The NEW YORK TIMES owes the Mohawk people an apology. It's Feb. 19 article, titled "Drug Traffickers Find Haven in Shadows of Indian Country", unfairly paints a grim picture of the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation and this depiction needs to be corrected.

Most troubling is the author's decision to create an impression that Indian country and our reservation in particular is a haven for drug traffickers. The factual information in support of the article is actually a contradiction of the title. The story begins with an overview of the arrest of John V. Oakes on our reservation. Then, interlaced throughout the article, are examples from other reservations where drug trafficking rings were broken up and individual arrests made. It is ironic that the story uses excerpts from statements made by captured criminals to say that reservations are a haven. We ask: if they are such a haven, then how did those drug traffickers get captured?

Ask any law enforcement agency and they will tell you that making drug trafficking arrests is dangerous work and takes considerable time to develop the case. To say that the problems and challenges in making these arrests are unique to Indian country is just plain wrong. They hold true across America and are an integral part of the challenges in the war on drugs for everyone.

The article also leaves the erroneous impression that reservations are part of the problem but not part of the solution. We know there are Tribal members in our community engaged in illegal activity involving smuggling. We have seen firsthand some of the tragic consequences of this lifestyle. We also know that our location as a border community contributes to the decision of Canadian American-based crime organizations to use individuals in our community as part of their smuggling enterprises. It certainly presents us with law enforcement challenges that others don't have to face.

But the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has taken active measures to prevent illegal activities on our reservation. Over the past three years, we have increasingly diverted Tribal funding to law enforcement as Federal grants have disappeared. Our current financial commitment to law enforcement is unmatched in Tribal history. In addition, our Tribal police force coordinates its activities with outside law enforcement agencies including the U.S. Border Patrol, Customs and Immigration in Canada, the FBI and the New York State Police. Our Tribal police force is the only Tribal police force in New York State certified by the State police.

As the article's author, Sarah Kershaw, pointed out, our law enforcement - and border security - related efforts receive little or no Federal Homeland Security funding due to a quirk in the law which severely limits Tribes from securing these resources. This is the real "black hole" that exists for our community. We continue to work with Congress to correct this inequity, but in the meantime, our Tribe is absorbing the cost of the United States' border security responsibility. Indeed, our Tribe is working above and beyond our call of duty to address these law enforcement challenges.

So for Kershaw to state that the 11,000 Indians living in our community have long dipped their hands into the rewarding tills of smuggling is irresponsible reporting and sensationalism at its worst. Why Kershaw would choose to belittle an entire community is beyond our comprehension. Nothing could be further from the truth. Indian country, and our community in particular, wants Tribal members to be just as safe and drug-free as anyone else does. Instead, she chose to use a few examples to paint a negative picture of our community to support her title.

The reference to tumbledown government housing and worn-down trailers on our reservation is stereotyping on the part of Kershaw. This may have been part of our history but it is no longer the case. As a community, we have worked hard to address the housing needs of our community. Over the past 10 years, over 200 new homes have been built for Tribal members through our Akwesasne Housing Authority. These homes are constructed to standards established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They are neither tumbledown nor worn-out. We are proud of the gains we have made in meeting the housing needs of our community. It was unfair for Kershaw to embellish her story by mischaracterizing our community in this maner.

We are astounded by the statement that casino money is fueling the surge in trafficking and that it was providing a fast-growing source of customers and well-financed partners for outside drug traffickers. We would like to know the basis for this statement and what research was undertaken in reaching this conclusion. Indian gaming has allowed Tribes across the country to raise the standard of living in their communities, to provide needed jobs and to fund important governmental services. To take a potshot at it in the context of an article on drug trafficking is reprenhensible.

Indian gaming is one of the most over-regulated types of gaming in the United States. Our Akwesasne Mohawk Casino is overseen by our Tribal Gaming Commission, the New York State Racing and Wagering Board, the New York State Police and the National Indian Gaming Commission. We spend over $3 million annually in regulatory costs. There are also strict requirements on how Tribes can spend the revenue generated from Indian gaming. It must be used to provide essential governmental services in our community.