The New York Times reports that the members of the Iroquois nation’s lacrosse team are being barred from using their tribal passports for a trip to the UK. The team has used their tribal passports in the past to attend international competitions and the dispute raises significant questions regarding the sovereign rights of native Americans. The team is ranked fourth in the world.
The team was originally blocked by Delta Airlines which apparently consulted the State Department. The team was able to get several high ranking elected officials to assist including New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and actually secured a one time waiver from the US government. But the victory was short-lived since the UK government has now weighed in and is insisting on seeing US passports.
The team has been told they will forfeit their first game if they do not arrive in the UK by this evening.