Zach LarkinsON THE OTHER HAND .................
I've written in the past how the Indians are holding our feet to the fire by claiming the white man has violated just about any and all treaties their great-great-great grandfathers thought was a pretty good deal at the time. Now, I have to put the moccasin on the other foot.
Brandon Nolan is a native Canadian, an Aboriginal, a First Nations person who got the shaft big time this week when Canadian border crossing guards treated him worse than they'd treat a convicted felon.
Brandon is a professional hockey player, currently owned by the Carolina Hurricanes. His father is New York Islanders coach Ted Nolan. Brandon has played for the Oshawa Generals and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the past. He is basically a Canadian with an American job. He seems to like coming home every now and then. But this week, our border guards put him on notice. He is not that welcome here, in the land of his birth.
It seems Brandon rolled up to the border crossing in his father's BMW and was told he'd have to pay duty on it and register the car in Canada. I might be wrong here, but I doubt it, but Natives have the right to cross the border freely and if they buy a car in the USA, at a cheaper price than they'd pay over here, good for them. Where they register it is their business. And besides, it wasn't his car to begin with. It was his Dad's. Natives are exempt from paying duty and I can't even imagine me trying to register my father's car anywhere else than where he originally registered it.
Now, when Brandon shows these goofs his Status Card, they pretend not to know what it is. Telling them he had made this crossing about 30 or 40 times before with no problem, they replied, "'Then the border made 30 or 40 mistakes." They asked for his green card, which a Native doesn't need, and upon failure to produce one, sent him back to America. He was rudely sent back to the States after the following: "I showed my native status card and told him that a green card is not necessary for me to work in the U.S. His response was, 'I know what the status card is. It's the U.S. that accepted that agreement, but we don't.' " What sort of bullshit is that?
"I said that for the last five years I have been playing hockey and crossing the border with my status card and do not need a green card. I also showed him my New York licence with the U.S. residence on the card. He replied to me by saying, 'That does not prove that you live in the U.S., and that (pointing to my native status card) means nothing to me.' "
Brandon has rightfully complained to the Human Rights Commission as he feels he was discriminated against and the officers were being racist. One of them asked, " Where's Cornwall?", an obvious reference to the large Native population there who may or may not be smuggling cigarettes and alcohol into Canada. He replied, "I have never been to Cornwall."
Of course there are those who are crying for an inquest into this matter and the Border Patrol is saying some 'sensitivity training' might be required. The inquest, I fully agee with and Brandon deserves an apology. Sensitivity training? Yup. But fire those bastards who did this first, and make damn sure it never happens again.
Sources: Joe Warmington He Was Trying To Return Toronto Sun
Brandon Nolan is a native Canadian, an Aboriginal, a First Nations person who got the shaft big time this week when Canadian border crossing guards treated him worse than they'd treat a convicted felon.
Brandon is a professional hockey player, currently owned by the Carolina Hurricanes. His father is New York Islanders coach Ted Nolan. Brandon has played for the Oshawa Generals and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in the past. He is basically a Canadian with an American job. He seems to like coming home every now and then. But this week, our border guards put him on notice. He is not that welcome here, in the land of his birth.
It seems Brandon rolled up to the border crossing in his father's BMW and was told he'd have to pay duty on it and register the car in Canada. I might be wrong here, but I doubt it, but Natives have the right to cross the border freely and if they buy a car in the USA, at a cheaper price than they'd pay over here, good for them. Where they register it is their business. And besides, it wasn't his car to begin with. It was his Dad's. Natives are exempt from paying duty and I can't even imagine me trying to register my father's car anywhere else than where he originally registered it.
Now, when Brandon shows these goofs his Status Card, they pretend not to know what it is. Telling them he had made this crossing about 30 or 40 times before with no problem, they replied, "'Then the border made 30 or 40 mistakes." They asked for his green card, which a Native doesn't need, and upon failure to produce one, sent him back to America. He was rudely sent back to the States after the following: "I showed my native status card and told him that a green card is not necessary for me to work in the U.S. His response was, 'I know what the status card is. It's the U.S. that accepted that agreement, but we don't.' " What sort of bullshit is that?
"I said that for the last five years I have been playing hockey and crossing the border with my status card and do not need a green card. I also showed him my New York licence with the U.S. residence on the card. He replied to me by saying, 'That does not prove that you live in the U.S., and that (pointing to my native status card) means nothing to me.' "
Brandon has rightfully complained to the Human Rights Commission as he feels he was discriminated against and the officers were being racist. One of them asked, " Where's Cornwall?", an obvious reference to the large Native population there who may or may not be smuggling cigarettes and alcohol into Canada. He replied, "I have never been to Cornwall."
Of course there are those who are crying for an inquest into this matter and the Border Patrol is saying some 'sensitivity training' might be required. The inquest, I fully agee with and Brandon deserves an apology. Sensitivity training? Yup. But fire those bastards who did this first, and make damn sure it never happens again.
Sources: Joe Warmington He Was Trying To Return Toronto Sun
that's absoluetly ridiculous! I have a Canadian friend who works in Los Angeles California, (Hollywood to be more specific) but he was born and rasied in New Westminster, BC...
He maintains two homes, one in Malibu, California and one in Vancouver, BC and he makes the crossing about 4-5 times a month, as he also works in the film industry in Canada too...
Not once has my friend ever been stopped, harrassed, taken into custody or detained at the border crossing from the US into Canada for any reason...Not ever...
Ok so he isn't A First Nations person, and he doesn't have an ounce of Native blood whatsoever running through his veins...
But he made the crossing less than two weeks ago, pulling up to the booth with an open can of Bud Lite in his hand, and not one officer even said a word!!
Now my buddy called me from Vancouver and told me about what happened to Brandon Nolan, because of course we don't get the real news down here...
But he was pretty damned upset about it...See my friend maintains dual citizenship for both the US and Canada, and never gets harrassed either coming from or going to...
But then again, he pointed out that he doesn't "look" like First Nation, so maybe this is why he has never been harrassed...
In my opinion, Nolan should raise as much hell about this as possible...For God's sake, he LIVES there!
Great post!
Take care my friend,
Nick
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Thanks for dropping in. BTW, I did finally get to have a pancake. It was cold. Going back to my Blue now.
I don't believe this case has anything to do with racism, considering how Nolan already retracted those allegations. The Cornwall comment, made sense, because the border is on the reserve, and if it were to stay on the reserve it would not have to be imported. Looks like it came out wrong though, and I understand why Nolan would be upset by that.
Border guards know canadian's rights, that they an enter the country freely, I highly doubt the refused him entry, the vehicle, on the other, i'm not suprised was refused without proof that he had residency in the US.
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