England questions passports issued by Iroquois nation. Team hopes to resolve dispute Monday, but delay costs them $23,000 so far.
Iroquois nationalsâ Brett Bucktooth keeps possession while being defended by Englandâs Nathan Singleton in the opening game of the World Lacrosse Championships held in London, Ontario, in 2006. The Iroquois defeated England 13-10.
Instead of flying to England today for the 2010 World Lacrosse Championships, members of the Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team will take a bus to New York City where they hope to convince the British Consulate and U.S. State Department to let them travel.
England would not let the team into the country because some team members and staff travel on passports issued by the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois confederacy), said Ansley Jemison, the team’s general manager. The British officials wanted confirmation that the United States will allow them back into the country, he said.
“There was an issue when (officials) said, ‘Are you an American citizen, a U.S. citizen, whatever your citizenship is,’¤” Jemison said. “Our people had a hard time answering that. We identify ourselves as who we are: We are indigenous people of North America, and that line was drawn in the sand by somebody other than us.”
The Iroquois, a confederacy of sovereign nations including the Onondaga nation south of Syracuse, has issued the Haudenosaunee passports for about 30 years, said Barbara Barnes, a member of the team’s board of directors. She said she has never heard of this type of problem before.
“This is the most difficulty we’ve had,” Barnes said. “We have traveled on the passports before; they’ve issued us visas. We’ve gone into Australia, Japan, participated in these international lacrosse world games. .¤.¤. They are giving us a real hard time this time.”
The 23 players on the team come from Central New York, Tuscarora and Ontario, Canada. They are traveling with about 20 coaches, family members and fans.
On Monday, the team will get biometric scans, pay a $5,000 visa processing fee that must be paid in person and re-submit their visa applications, Jemison said.
“Our support staff is doing everything that they can to make this happen for them,” Jemison said. “We’re not trying to make political statements or anything like that but .¤.¤. by being who we are, it already becomes a political issue.”
The team and its supporters planned to stay in New York City tonight. The delay will cost the team about $23,000 for hotel rooms, change of flight surcharges and food, Jemison said.
To make it to the tournament on time, the team cannot leave later than Tuesday, he said. They are scheduled to open the world tournament against England on Thursday.
As the team waits for approval, they will practice today at Wagner College on Staten Island, Jemison said.
“We’re anxious but optimistic,” he said. “I don’t think a lacrosse team full of world-class athletes poses much of a threat to homeland security. All we’re doing is going to play a game and all we want to do is come home and have the United States and Canada be proud of us.”
Indian Country Today article on the dispute.
Contact Fernando Alfonso III at falfonso@syracuse.com or 470- 6078 .