Running Smoke

The Mohawk Nation has officially intervened in Derek’s case, and not necessarily in his defense. So whose side are they on?

In 1974, a handful of Mohawk Warriors crossed the Canadian border and occupied an abandoned Girl Scout camp in upstate New York. Their mission was to reclaim their ancestral homeland, and after three years of talks with the state government, they did just that.

Derek’s constitutional challenge becomes a controversial issue in the Mohawk Nation. The tobacco trade has always been a hot button issue, and in the 1980s, it led to a full fledged civil war in one Mohawk territory. 

Turns out, Derek’s not the first Mohawk to take a border crossing case to court. The last person who tried spent 15 years in the courts, and risked the rights of his entire community. His story now serves as a stark warning for anyone fighting for native rights.

Derek goes to trial and it’s a wild ride from Day 1.  Also, what this jury has to say may SHOCK you! Prosecutors HATE this!