For the Iroquois tribes who lived along the St. Lawrence Seaway, the establishment of a border between the United States and Canada was a particularly sensitive issue: were they citizens of both countries, or of neither? Each July, members of the Indian Defense League of America march across this bridge on the border to commemorate an important victory. The Indian Defense League was founded in 1926 by Chief Clinton Rickard, a Tuscarora. In 1928, the league, based primarily within the Six Iroquois Nations of New York and Canada, established unrestricted rights for Indians to trade and travel across the U.S./Canadian border. The league argued that these rights were already guaranteed by the Jay Treaty of 1794 and the Treaty of Ghent in 1814. But it was not until 1969 that the Canadian government recognized these rights and allowed Indians to exchange goods across the border duty-free.

Note: The black and white photo on this page was found at American Historical Images On File, The Native American Experience. The story was written by Professor Troy Johnson at California State University, Long Beach. Please visit his site as it contains a wealth of information about Native American History.

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