Iroquois Nationals are being held back

The World Championships are being held in Manchester England and the people who invented the game are not being allowed to travel and play in the tournament.

The Iroquois Nationals are made up of the Six Indian Nations that stretch across Southern Ontario and New York. The International Lacrosse Federation recognizes thea as a country and has them ranked as 4th in the World.

The Iroquois team are facing a problem with the US and Homeland security revolving around their passports. The Six Nations have their own passports which they have travelled with in the past to other tournaments. The US want them to carry the American passports as well. Denis Waterman, a member of the Iroqiois Nationals Board of directors says “It would be like saying the Canadians are having travel difficulties and the U.S. says we’ll make you U.S. passports and you can go over."

The British consulate informed the team they would not be allowed travel permissions unless they were granted the allowance back into the United States. The State Department of Home Security will not grant a promise. This decision is denying the Six Nations their own sovereignty. Dean Kotlowski, a history professor at Salisbury University in Maryland who specializes in American Indian policy sums it up “What’s at stake is their culture, their identity, their tribes, their reservations,” he said. “They’ve seen diminishment ... of their population, threats to their way of life.”

Many of the players have travelled to other parts of the country to compete for their nation and have had no trouble in the past. They should be allowed to travel and it would be a shame if they were not granted the opportunity. Historically speaking there would not be a World Lacrosse Championship in the first place without them. They invented the game.

The Iroquois are scheduled to play England on Thursday. If they leave today they'll still only have one day to prepare for their game. If they are not represented at the tournament I think its a big shame and the American government are making a huge mistake in not allowing clearance to travel. If I were playing I would protest and not play.