AKWESASNE -- The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe was pleased to share their experience in developing positive working relationships during a visit from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on Monday, Seskehkó:wa September 25, 2023. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the Tribe’s best practices in dealings with federal agencies, which will be used for developing a video as part of mandatory training for all 150,000+ DHS employees.
“The training is required by Congress and will provide a baseline level of understanding and knowledge for improving the working relationship with Tribal Nations,” said Tricia Swartz, DHS Senior Advisor for Tribal Affairs. Swartz noted, “Our goal is to ensure that the training video incorporates tribal voices, rather than DHS talking about Tribal Nations. As a result, we are traveling around to tribes who have been identified as having best practices, with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe being known for having developed good relationships.”
A November 2022 Presidential Memorandum on Uniform Standards for Tribal Consultation directed federal agencies to provide training for all government employees who interact with Tribal Nations. It required modules that explain the concept of tribal consultation, the Nation-to-Nation relationship, and the principle of tribal sovereignty. The training standards and information provided to federal employees will be based upon the direct input of tribes.
“At a meeting convened by our federal lobbying firm, the Tribal Council learned about the efforts of the Department of the Interior and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to develop plans of action for each federal agency on tribal consultation,” shared Tribal Chief Michael Conners. Chief Conners added, “Based upon the recognition that our tribal police department’s work has received, an invitation was extended for the Department of Homeland Security to visit and learn about their best practices.”
Earlier this month, Chief of Police Matthew Rourke was named Chief of the Police of the Year by the National Native American Law Enforcement Association for instilling a cooperative approach towards public safety. Joining him in receiving national recognition was Lieutenant Decota Thompson, who was appointed in December 2022 to the Tribal Homeland Security Advisory Council; and Detective Sergeant Karonienhawi Thomas, who was appointed in May 2022 to the Interior Department’s Not Invisible Act Joint Commission on Reducing Violent Crimes Against Indians.
Chief of Police Rourke said, “The work that our police department has become known for is the result of the cooperation and partnerships we have developed with our community and outside law enforcement agencies. These are partnerships based on the protection of our tribal sovereignty, which is an important element highlighted in the cultural awareness video that we produced in coordination with Akwesasne TV to help educate our law enforcement partners.”
Accompanied by members of DHS Tribal Affairs and audio-visual specialists from their Office of Public Affairs; a day-long itinerary was developed for tribal leaders, directors, commission members, and others to discuss their respective work and to share recommendations for improving federal interactions with Tribal Nations. It also included interviews with representatives of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Massena Port of Entry) and Border Patrol, who discussed their experience working with the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.
“The placement of the border through our territory created jurisdictional issues, but we realized that developing working relationships was a more productive way to overcome these challenges. I offer my appreciation to those individuals who work hard to maintain these relationships,” shared Tribal Chief Beverly Cook.
Tribal Chief Ron LaFrance added, “It’s important that we continue to build and strengthen relationships with everyone who we interact with, including federal agencies. Not only does it result in our people serving as tribal advisors on national boards, but it also helps secure much-needed resources for the benefit of our community members.”
PHOTO CAPTION: On September 25th, The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe was joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Massena Port of Entry) and U.S. Border Patrol to share best practices for federal interactions with Tribal Nations for development of a training video for all employees of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
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The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe.