Breaking down barriers at border crossings

By Lailani Upham

A port of entry into Canada on the U.S. side of the Port of Piegan, located on Highway 89 North. (Courtesy photo)

PABLO — A public meeting with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol representatives and a few Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes department managers was held last month to begin a dialogue to discuss how to best address border issues and the possibility of enhanced tribal identification cards.

According to Lynn Shozda, CBP Public Affairs Liaison and Agriculture Specialist, the meeting was to share information on requirements and the data components for enhanced tribal ID cards and to get a dialogue going on how to address border issues and concerns regarding cultural items crossing back and forth from the U.S. and Canada.

Since 2008, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection has been working with Native American tribal officials to enhance their existing tribal identification cards. So far, five tribes have made the switch. The Kootenai of Idaho, the Pascua Yaqui of Arizona, the Seneca of New York, the Tohono O’odham of Arizona, and the Coquille of Oregon are the listed tribes that put the ETC’s into effect last year.

Enhanced Tribal ID Cards are like the Enhanced Driver’s license that is being used in a handful of states. The identification cards contain radio identification frequency (RFID) microchips that are compliant with the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative.

The cards contain RFID tags that can be scanned electronically from distances of about 20 feet for fast and easy processing. Although RFID tags are very efficient for border patrol stations and individual crossing, they have raised much concern about privacy and security.

“There were concerns at our first meeting that a lot of personal information was going to be required for the cards and that the information contained on the cards would be kept at the ports. Hopefully, the PowerPoint addressed the concerns some of the attendees at the first meeting had expressed,” Shozda stated.

Another concern is the possibility of being scanned by an unauthorized person. To address those concerns, the RFID-enhanced ID cards contain only a series of numbers, which must be matched to a Department of Homeland Security database to obtain information.

According to DHS, RFID technology uses radio waves to identify people or objects. There is a device that reads information contained in a wireless device or “tag” from a distance without making any physical contact or requiring a line of sight. No personal information is stored on the RFID card – only a number, which points to the information housed in secure databases. Information of each person that passes through a port is not kept at the stations, Shozda explained.

The other focus for the meeting was to discuss cultural items and how they should be handled at the border. A suggestion arose during the meeting to hold more training with border staff and tribal cultural officials.

“The staff at the border are not getting adequate training as it refers to tribes, religious items and the disrespect of the items by staff, and the rights tribes have crossing the border as to treaties agreed to by Canada and the United States,” said Laurence Kenmille, CSKT Records Research Manager.

Vernon Finley, of the Kootenai Culture Committee suggested a source with Montana’s Office of Public Instruction as a great resource for cultural training for the seven reservations in Montana.

Finely pointed out that a member carrying tribal ID’s should carry a higher status of those that don’t. Denoting that sovereignty status of tribes should be recognized and understood, he said.

Finley recommended members of culture committees could provide presentations to the ports to address questions they may have.

Border Patrol officials welcomed the idea. The discussion led to a possibility of conducting presentations twice a year.

Shozda stated that Border Patrol officials are looking to do more training and make appearances on Tribal College campuses, public schools, job fairs to educate people on border procedures and also careers with U.S. Customs Border Patrol and Homeland Security.

There was an overall agreement among the handful of participants that each tribe across the state is very different and each had their own way dealing with cultural items.

“Talking to the people directly involved, tends to disseminate the feeling of mutual respect, none of us at the meeting have the authority to make changes, however, we were all receiving information that cleared many small obstacles and paved a way for future discussion, which will include more personnel that have authority to make change,” Kenmille stated following the meeting.

One main topic that was addressed by Border Patrol officials about the strict approaches people feel are present at the ports is the high traffic of drug smuggling. Although it is not as big of a problem at the Sweetgrass Station it is across other parts of the nation.

Another topic touched upon were fruit, vegetables and food items entering in and out of the country. Certain items brought into the U.S. from foreign countries are restricted according to U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations. Prohibited agricultural items can harbor foreign animal and plant pests and diseases that could seriously damage America’s crops, livestock, pets, and the environment – and a large sector of our country’s economy, according to Shozda.

“The main purpose I see for the future of these meetings is to give both the CSKT and CBP the opportunity to talk about border issues and concerns and how best to address them,” Shozda said.

“The meeting is to build a foundation that we can build upon - using parts of what other tribes have in place and negotiate what the CSKT believe is essential to retain our sovereignty and self-governance,” Kenmille stated.

The conclusion included that another public meeting with CSKT officials, community members and the U.S. Customs Border Patrol officials will be scheduled before summer travel initiates.