State of the State Part 1: The Akwesasne Defend Their Rights

On January 8, 2014, at the Capitol building in Albany, NY, anti-fracking activists gathered at the State of the State address by Governor Andrew Cuomo. The Mohawk tribe, the Akwesasne, were not permitted to enter the main concourse with their flags, which were declared to be “weapons.” Deciding to remain in a side corridor, their drumming was interrupted by state troopers demanding that they stop their ceremony.