Caldwell First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation will host the fifth annual Jay Treaty Border Alliance Summit in Windsor and Detroit from June 27-29, 2022.
Elected officials of First Nations and U.S. tribes from across North America will come together to discuss border crossing issues with elected government officials and staff.
A ceremony will take place on the Ambassador Bridge on the morning of Tuesday, June 28 that will represent the rekindling of the Three Fires Confederacy, which includes Chippewa, Potawatomi, and Odawa nations on both sides of the border.
A brief traffic stoppage will take place late morning on June 28 on the Ambassador Bridge.
This has been coordinated to bring awareness to the cross-border issues that First Nations face while causing minimal disruption to commerce.
Organizers of the event have collaborated with the Windsor Police Service and the Ontario Provincial Police to ensure the safety of participants.
“The summit is an opportunity to begin rekindling the Three Fires Confederacy, which stretches across the U.S. Canada border,” stated Walpole Island Chief Charles Sampson, in a media release.
“We have maintained our relationships in spite of the boundary for many generations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has created new challenges for us. We welcome the fact that our Indigenous brothers and sisters from across turtle island will be joining us in Windsor and Detroit for this historic event.”
Organizers say members of the Three Fires Confederacy have community and familial ties that extend across the border.
The 1974 Jay Treaty represents a historical promise to preserve the border crossing rights of Indigenous North Americans, and the treaty acknowledges that Indigenous peoples have the right to travel and trade across the border.
Many First Nations and Tribes continue to cross the border on a regular basis for economic, familial, ceremonial, purposes.
Nevertheless, the Government of Canada does not recognize the Jay Treaty or the right of Indigenous peoples to cross into Canada.
The U.S. observes the Jay Treaty but according to strict blood quantum rules that have created challenges for multi-generational families.
Border restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have compounded the challenges that Indigenous peoples have faces crossing the U.S.-Canada boundary.
The Jay Treaty Border Alliance is seeking a high-level working group with Canada and the United States address the issues of Indigenous nations along the border.
The Alliance is also pursing implementation of the Jay Treaty in Canada and elimination of the blood quantum requirement in the United States.
“We are pleased to host the fifth annual Jay Treaty Border Alliance summit at the heart of Three Fires territory in Windsor and Detroit,” said Caldwell First Nation Chief Mary Duckworth, in a media release.
“It is important for us to bring broader awareness of our border crossing issues so that we can support our members and their right to cross freely.”
The Jay Treaty Border Alliance is led by the following co-chairs: Chief Michael Conners of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe, Vice Chairman Gary Aitken Jr. of the Kootenai Tribe of Idaho, Grand Chief Abram Benedict of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, and Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer of the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake.
