January 30, 2007
Changes to Document Requirement for Air Travel to the United States

Background

In the United States of America (US), the federal government enacted the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (Act) in 2004. This Act was a response to the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The Act requires the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to develop and implement course of action which will call for all travelers, including First Nations, to present a passport that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the US. Additionally, other alternative documents will be deemed acceptable (which may include the new secure Certificate of Indian Status) once the standards are released in the early spring of 2007. As an administrative method to implement this mandate the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative was created.

What is the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative?

Border Security became a serious issue after the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and as a result the standardization of travel documents which are secure and reliable became a must. This would allow the Department of Homeland Security to quickly, consistently and precisely identify a traveler as a US citizen or a legitimate foreign visitor.

Implication to First Nation Citizens

First Nation citizens situated within the borders of Ontario have been able to cross the border in the past using their Certificate of Indian Status as the indentifiers. The current Certificate of Indian Status lacks the required security features to match the new standards imposed by the Department of Homeland Security. Furthermore, the current Certificate of Indian status also lacks the security feature to prevent against fraudulent use and identity theft. In a response to this growing concern, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) is in the process of implementing nationally a new secure Certificate of Indian Status, which will be considered as an alternative documentation for cross border travel. The Chiefs in Assembly have taken a proactive role to ensure First Nation privacy concerns are addressed by beginning a process of developing a Memorandum of Understanding with INAC. It is expected that the new secure Certificate of Indian Status will be deployed in each region by March 2008.

If you require more information please contact:

Nathan Wright
Chiefs of Ontario
Phone: (416) 597-1266
Email: nathan@coo.org

To learn more about this initiative, please visit: http://ottawa.usembassy.gov.