Iroquois team quits lacrosse tourney over passports

A team of Iroquois lacrosse players blocked from travelling to a tournament in England because they refuse to use American or Canadian passports has bowed out of the competition.

Manager Ansley Jemison says the team no longer has time to make the tournament, which ends next Saturday.

The 23 members of the Iroquois Nationals team had already forfeited their first game of the World Lacrosse Championships. Their second game was scheduled for Saturday.

The United Kingdom has refused to recognize passports issued by the Iroquois Confederacy.

Jemison says the squad is still trying to gain recognition for the passports so it can attend future international games.

Earlier Friday, Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl said there was little he can do to help the team.

He said Canada cannot force Britain to accept documents it doesn't recognize, and the government-issued passport is the only document guaranteed to be accepted.

Percy Abrams, executive chairman of the Iroquois Nationals, has said the team's players have never had a problem before with their special passports. However the Iroquois Confederacy passports lack some security features of recent international travel documents.

Strahl was in Winnipeg to announce a new program to help more aboriginals receive skills training. The federal government will spend $210 million over five years to fund projects across the country.