The federal government has updated its travel advice for the United States and is now urging First Nations people to carry a passport in addition to a status card when crossing the border.
Before this week, the government website said First Nations people could “freely” enter the United States for the purposes of employment, study, retirement, investing or immigration.
As of Thursday, the website has been updated with new guidelines.
The website now says First Nations people “may” be able to cross the Canada-U.S. border by land or water with their Secure Certificate of Indian Status, also known as a secure status card.
The website says acceptance of all status cards is “entirely at the discretion of U.S. officials.” Status cards and secure status cards aren’t accepted travel documents for air travel, it says.
When crossing the Canada-U.S. border, travellers are strongly urged to carry a valid passport and use a valid machine-readable secure status card, the website says.
The government says that as of February 2019, all new and renewed secure status cards are issued with a machine-readable field. The government began issuing secure status cards in 2009, phasing out older laminated, paper or plastic versions of the cards.
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“While you may have previously crossed the Canada-U.S. border with only a secure status card, (Indigenous Services Canada) now strongly recommends also carrying a valid passport when travelling outside of Canada,” says the Government of Canada website.
The government says people registered under the Indian Act entering the U.S. to live or work may also be asked to provide documentation to “prove the percentage of Indian blood required under U.S. law.”
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo, who serves as the co-chair of the Jay Treaty Border Alliance and sits in the Iroquois Caucus, said Canada should not be telling First Nations how to conduct themselves at the border and should instead recognize the Jay Treaty.
The Jay Treaty — which Canada does not recognize but the United States does — allows First Nations people born in Canada to freely enter the United States for employment, study, retirement, investment and immigration.
“Before they tell us what we need to cross the border with, they need to recognize that we have the free right by law to cross,” Diabo said.
“Our cards are enough with other documents listed in section 289 of the Immigration Act and upheld by the Jay Treaty.”
The Assembly of First Nations has warned First Nations people to be wary of crossing the border into the United States due to U.S. immigration enforcement raids and the detention of some Indigenous people.
AFN National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak has confirmed that at least one First Nations person had a negative encounter recently with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, better known as ICE, and that person has since returned to Canada.
The case prompted the advocacy body to issue a statement warning First Nations members to make sure they have the right documentation and identification when crossing the border.
In a statement, Indigenous Services Canada said last month it had been made aware that some people have recently reported the confiscation or damage of status cards in the U.S. It said the department can issue emergency status cards and will expedite requests from people who have been affected.
Mississauga First Nation also warned its members against crossing the border, citing ICE’s recent detention of Indigenous people. Three Oglala Sioux Tribe members were detained at a homeless encampment by ICE agents in Minnesota earlier this year.
Several other First Nations have issued similar warnings, including Six Nations of the Grand River near Hamilton, Ont., and Garden River First Nation near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
The Jay Treaty Alliance, a body representing tribal governments and First Nations communities on both sides of the border, is encouraging First Nations people crossing the border to the U.S. to ensure they are carrying their familial lineage letter, status card, long-form birth certificate and government-issued photo ID.
U.S. tribal members are being encouraged to carry their tribal IDs, state-issued IDs or driver’s licences, or a U.S. passport.
—With files from Alessia Passafiume, The Canadian Press
The TDS crowd are pulling their hair out and stomping their feet because they have to comply with regulation that all other countries require them to do. What is next … holding their breath till they turn blue? Grow up !!!
Every Canadian should carry a passport when they go to any other country. Canadians do not have a right to enter any other country but Canada
This is so ridiculous. I went to Vegas las week, there were people of all races, backgrounds from all over the place. This is made up and it needs to stop.
The passport requirement for Canadians entering the US was Obama’s doing, but let’s blame Trump anyway.
I apologize for saying only traitors go to the states. They have been great neighbors for decades. We only survive in canada because of them. We got brainwashed with the elbows up propaganda. States have always had our backs. We turned on them. Trump was just trying to even the playing field and instead of negotiating we thought we were tough and did the elbows up mentality because propaganda media told us to. Shame on us. I see so clear now that I got help for my TDS.
Unless they are going to the USA to vote in a federal election, then a passport or ID is not required.
I am surprised they would use a Canadian passport seeing they refuse to be recognized as Canadians.
Yeah well as it should be. Everyone should have a passport to come over to U.S. We have to have one to cross into Canada…not rocket science
Better yet … don’t cross the border.
Just… Don’t travel to the US, period…. It’s not safe and they don’t deserve our attention.
So,not really “freely”,huh? Us regular people just need our passports… hahaha
So follow the same rules as everyone else? How awful!
And anyone calling people ‘traitors’ for travelling to the US need to cut back on drinking the Liberal Kool aid.
Come on to the US. All are welcome just make sure you do it legally.
In other words, The same rules as entering every other country. I bet the chiefs have passports to go on retreats to the Caribbean Islands every winter.
America is a dangerous place to visit, especially for people of color. You risk being assaulted, kidnapped and detained by Traitor Trump the felon rapist’s secret police, ICE.
Get a passport. Enough of this two tier special treatment. We are all just Canadians and especially if you were born here too!
As they shoulld like everyone must.
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake Grand Chief Cody Diabo should reconcile to the fact that Canada came into being after the Jay treaty, and the Jay treaty should have been abolished at that time. Like any other non-US citizen, carry the proper ID. A Status card is not proper ID.
There is no longer any right to cross. Canada is in charge of Canadian international travel, and has the right and obligation to tell everyone how to conduct themselves.
Reconcile yourselves to facts.
Only traitors cross the border at this time.