St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, New York
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St. Regis Mohawk Reservation is a Mohawk Indian reservation located in Franklin County, New York. It is often known by its Mohawk name, Akwesasne. As of the 2000 census, the Indian reservation had a total population of 2,699. The reservation is adjacent to the Akwesasne reserve in Ontario and Quebec.
Under the terms of Jay's Treaty (1794), Mohawks may pass freely across the international border. The two parts of the reservation are separated by the St. Lawrence River and the 45th parallel.
The Mohawks are members of the Iroquois and are the Keepers of the Eastern Door.
Gambling was introduced to the reservation in the 1980s, and has caused deep controversy. Broadly speaking, the elected chiefs and the Warrior Society have supported gaming, while the traditional chiefs have opposed it.
The elected tribal governments on the New York and Canadian sides and the traditional chiefs of Akwesasne often work together as a "Tri-Council" concerning areas of shared interest, for example to negotiate land claims settlements.
The Mohawk Tribe views the reservation as an "sovereign nation," but shares jurisdiction with the State of New York, The United States and the Town of Bombay, in which it is located.
Geography
The reservation is at the international border of Canada and the St. Lawrence River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Indian reservation has a total area of 54.3 km² (21.0 mi²). 49.2 km² (19.0 mi²) of it is land and 5.1 km² (2.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 9.45% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 2,699 people, 904 households, and 668 families residing in the Indian reservation. The population density is 54.9/km² (142.2/mi²). There are 977 housing units at an average density of 19.9/km² (51.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the Indian reservation is 2.07% White, 0.00% Black or African American, 97.41% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 904 households out of which 44.8% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% are married couples living together, 23.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% are non-families. 22.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.97 and the average family size is 3.44.
In the Indian reservation the population is spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 7.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 30 years. For every 100 females there are 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the Indian reservation is $32,664, and the median income for a family is $34,336. Males have a median income of $27,742 versus $21,774 for females. The per capita income for the Indian reservation is $12,017. 22.4% of the population and 19.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 31.3% of those under the age of 18 and 14.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Tribal Constitution (http://www.tribalresourcecenter.org/ccfolder/st_regis_const.htm)
- Mohawk tribal links (http://www.nativeamericans.com/Mohawk.htm)
- St. Regis governance issues (http://www.peacetree.com/akwesasne/division.htm)