Homeland Security, Seneca Nation of Indians Announce
Fri Sep 11 2009 09:52:26 GMT-0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
09/10/2009
Washington - The Department of Homeland Security and the Seneca Nation of Indians today
formalized an agreement to develop a Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI)-compliant
Enhanced Tribal Card (ETC) - signed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Assistant
Commissioner Thomas S. Winkowski and Seneca Nation President Barry E. Snyder, Sr., at a
ceremony at Liberty Park in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
The ETC establishes identity, tribal membership and citizenship for the purpose of entering the
United States by land or sea - enhancing safety and security of U.S. borders while facilitating
legitimate travel and trade.
“This agreement will strengthen safety along our borders while providing Seneca Nation
members a secure and standardized ID card,” said Secretary Napolitano. “In the months ahead,
we will continue to build upon these efforts - from secure identification to preparing for
emergencies - with our tribal partners across the country.”
“The Seneca Nation has occupied these lands in what we now call Western New York and
Southern Ontario since time immemorial. We have crossed the waters that mark the border
between the U.S. and Canada throughout history and we continue to cross the waters for a
variety of traditional, governmental, commercial, cultural and social reasons,” said President
Snyder. “This agreement is significant for several reasons, the most obvious of which is that it
will not hinder our ability to cross the border. More importantly, this agreement stands in
recognition of Seneca Nation sovereignty. This agreement demonstrates recognition of our
sovereign right to develop our own Seneca Nation Tribal Identification cards, with enhanced
features, that will be accepted by DHS and CBP for border crossing by our membership.”
The agreement represents Secretary Napolitano’s ongoing commitment to close coordination
with tribal partners across the nation on security initiatives - and underscores the mutual
commitment of DHS and the Seneca Nation to enhance border security and combat threats of
terrorism and transnational crime through secure identification.
Since the beginning of the year, CBP has also signed agreements with the Kootenai Tribe of
Idaho and the Pascua Yaqui of Arizona. CBP is currently working with approximately 25
additional tribes across the country on the ETC initiative.
In addition to partnering on secure identification, DHS is working with the Department of Health
and Human Services to ensure that tribal governments have critical information about how to
prepare for and respond to the H1N1 flu. DHS coordinates with tribes, national and regional
tribal associations and the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide guidance on H1N1 readiness
efforts for individuals, communities, businesses and schools.
WHTI is a joint initiative between DHS and the Department of State that implements a key 9/11
Commission recommendation and Congressional mandate to establish document requirements
for travelers entering the United States who were previously exempt, including citizens of the
United States, Canada and Bermuda.
DHS implemented WHTI at land and sea ports of entry on June 1, requiring travelers to present
an approved travel document to enter the United States. Approved documents include
passports, U.S. passport cards, trusted traveler program cards and state- or province-issued
enhanced driver’s licenses. ETCs, developed in accordance with the signed agreement, will also
be accepted for border crossings.
The Seneca Nation, one of the six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, occupies aboriginal
lands in western New York, including sovereign territories in Niagara Falls and Buffalo.
For more information, visit the DHS or WHTI Web sites. ( Department of Homeland Security ) ( Western
Hemisphere Travel Initiative )
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the unified border agency within the Department of
Homeland Security charged with the management, control and protection of our nation's
borders at and between the official ports of entry. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and
terrorist weapons out of the country while enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws.