Native American lacrosse team barred from entering UK with Iroquois passports

(15 Jul 2010) SHOTLIST 12 July 2010 1. Iroquois Nationals lacrosse team posing for photographs in Times Square 14 July 2010 2. Nationals player with lacrosse stick in Times Square 3. Percy Abrams, Executive director of Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team, showing inside of Haudenosaunee passport 4. Abrams showing outside of passport 5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Percy Abrams, Executive Director of Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team: "This is our nationality. I think once I put it in that way, people start feeling they can make the connection as to why we are standing so strong behind this. This represents our nationality, the Haudenosaunee, and this is what we are standing for. The team when we go over to England and we present our credentials at the players table and we lay down our passports, this is what it's all about. We're not laying down US passports, we're not laying down Canadian passports. We are laying down Haudenosaunee passports, which are the passports of the Haudenosaunee, the Iroquois or the six nations confederacy." 6. Wide of news conference 7.SOUNDBITE: (English) Oren Lyons, Onondaga faithkeeper, a former All-American lacrosse goalie and honorary chairman of the Iroquois Nationals: "I think it's a diplomatic term. Finding an accommodation without commitment I would say. Finding a way to do this. They have been doing this over the years. My passport is full of re-entries, stamped re-entries coming in from - about four full passports. So it's not new. But how the challenge or why it came up at the last minute we have no idea. But we're pleased that the issue has been met and a serious discussion is now ensuing and it seems as though we've crossed a threshold positively. And it was a very cordial discussion today (Wednesday)." 8. Cutaway of reporter 9. SOUNDBITE: (English) Tonya Gonnella Frichner, President and founder of the American Indian Law Alliance, legal counsel to the Iroquois Nationals: "This conversation about Haudenosaunee documentation that we have been using since 1977 is an ongoing discussion. We have been having very friendly discussions with the State Department and with Homeland Security for many years. This has been a one time situation where things have gotten difficult. This clearance that we are receiving is a one time situation. It has nothing to do about any ongoing leaving or departures on a Haudenosaunee document other than this particular event." 12 July 2010 10. Nationals posing in Times Square STORYLINE A Native American lacrosse team that refuses to accept US passports will not be allowed entry into England for the world championship of the sport the Iroquois helped invent, the British government said on Wednesday. The Iroquois Nationals team won't be attending the world championship in Manchester unless the British government reverses its decision, said Tonya Gonnella Frichner, a lawyer for the team, at a news conference in Times Square, New York. Earlier on Wednesday, the US government agreed to let the team travel to England for a tournament under Iroquois Confederacy passports, but their travel plans were still on hold because they lacked the proper visas from Britain and because some players needed clearance from Canada. In a statement, the UK Borders Agency said: "Like all those seeking entry into the UK, they must present a document that we recognise as valid to enable us to complete our immigration and other checks." The team's 23 players - who are all eligible for passports issued by the US or Canada - say that accepting them would be a strike against their identity. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...