UPDATE: Iroquois Nationals have not withdrawn from championships

July 17, 2010 Statement

Iroquois Nationals have not withdrawn from championships

The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team has not withdrawn from the 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse (FIL) World Championships, currently underway in Manchester, England. Today we will forfeit the 2nd game through no fault of our own. The team stands ready to travel if the United Kingdom issues us clearance to travel.

The Board and Management of the Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team working with our legal advisor and board member Tonya Gonnella Frichner attempted to deliver to the U.K. Consulate in New York the documentation for visa applications on Tuesday, June 28th, but was turned away at the door without discussion – 19 days ago. A team from Jackson Lewis LLP, Washington, D.C. region, working pro bono; Joseph Heath, Esq., General Counsel for the Onondaga Nation, Syracuse, New York; Alex Page Esq., an attorney for the Haudenosaunee, Washington, D.C, and Bob Liff of M + R Strategic Services worked in concert to deliver to the U.K. Border Agency the proposal for review of our documentation that Tonya Gonnella Frichner attempted to deliver to the U.K. Consulate in New York on June 28th.

In fairness to the United Kingdom, and to the Iroquois Nationals, we believe all documents should be seen and considered by the United Kingdom for a more complete and comprehensive study of our request for entry.

photo : Native Pride

On the morning of July 17th, we received confirmation that the request for the review of documents had been received by the U.K. Border Agency, and that we would receive a response later in the day on July 17th. If we receive clearance to travel, we stand ready to go. If we do not get clearance to travel, we will return the Iroquois Nationals team members to their respective Six Nations, with the respect and honor they have brought to the citizens of the Haudenosaunee, to the Indigenous peoples of North America, and to the indigenous peoples of the world.

The 2010 Federation of International Lacrosse Championships continue on in Manchester. The FIL World Indoor Box Lacrosse Championships are scheduled for the Czech Republic in 2011. We stand second in the world in that competition. The Under-19 Men’s Field Lacrosse Championships are scheduled for Finland in 2012, and we intend to be there as well, as we hold the bronze medal in the 2008 games.

“We are not going away, we are an ancient people – we have seen a lot, been through a lot and yet we are still here. Seven Generations ago our people were looking out for us. Now it is our duty, and honor, and our privilege to look after the next seven generations coming.”

Joagquisho - Oren R. Lyons
Honorary Chairman
Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse

contact: Valerie Taliman 505.899.9110

Nassau, New York valerietaliman@gmail.com

-thanks to Lindsay Speer