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 Boundary. 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.
It features as a setting for a Tom Swift book, where the denizens are disparaged in a stereotypical way.
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 were 2,699 people, 904 households, and 668 families residing in the Indian reservation. The population density was 54.9/km² (142.2/mi²). There were 977 housing units at an average density of 19.9/km² (51.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the Indian reservation was 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 were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 904 households out of which 44.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 23.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.44.
In the Indian reservation the population was 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 were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 30 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the Indian reservation was $32,664, and the median income for a family was $34,336. Males had a median income of $27,742 versus $21,774 for females. The per capita income for the Indian reservation was $12,017. 22.4% of the population and 19.4% of families were below the poverty line. 31.3% of those under the age of 18 and 14.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.