Cornwall Island (Ontario)

The area has been the scene of several disputes by Akwesasne residents on their rights to cross the border unimpeded, as provided under the 1795 Jay Treaty.

The Warrior Society, a self-appointed security force, used assault rifles and bats to break up anti-gambling roadblocks at the reservation entrances.

[5] The Akwesasne Mohawk said further that they opposed border guards being armed at the Cornwall border post because it is situated in a residential area at a major crossroad where a bus stop, recreational fields, a play area, and several small businesses are located, increasing risk to bystanders.

The Mohawk protesters said that allowing the border guards to carry firearms violates their sovereignty and increases the likelihood of violent confrontations.

[8] On June 2, 2009, Akwesasne Mohawk were allowed to cross the Seaway International Bridge, though the Canada border post remained closed.

[10] Bob Kilger, the mayor of Cornwall, Ontario, praised the opening of the temporary border post and hoped for a more permanent resolution of the dispute.

The CBSA stated that the border crossing will only reopen if the officers can work there "safely with all of the tools they need to do their job, including their duty firearm.

The Economist commented: A shopping centre on Cornwall Island in the Canadian bit of Akwesasne, a piece of land set aside for the Mohawk people, shows how changing regimes harm small businesses.

When the Mohawks objected to the arming of Canadian guards, Canada moved a customs post north to the mainland.