American Indians seek less hassle, more respect at U.S.-Canada border
Source: Missoulian
... But to members of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the Blackfeet Nation, among others, the U.S.-Canada border is an arbitrary line demarcating ancestral lands, separating families and undermining tribal sovereignty.
In the most trifling circumstances, the border poses an annoyance to tribal members who regularly travel between Canada and the United States for family visits, council meetings or cultural and religious ceremonies. However, in other instances, either due to a lack of cultural awareness or a misunderstanding by officials with Customs and Border Protection, tribal members have been deeply offended or had their travel plans derailed.
Too many tribal members share horror stories of family members who are prohibited from crossing the border because they do not have a passport (they are not required to possess one) and of religious or cultural items that are unknowingly desecrated by Customs personnel, such as eagle feathers, sweetgrass or sacred medicine bundles.
... But as laid out in Article III of the 1794 Jay Treaty, American Indians may travel freely across the international boundary for employment, study, religion, commerce or immigration.
Read more: http://missoulian.com/news/local/indians-seek-less-hassle-more-respect-at-u-s-/article_818b6420-5545-11e1-8260-0019bb2963f4.html
