Local First Nations people demonstrated their support for the Elsipogtog Mi’Kmaq of New Brunswick at a rally held Friday afternoon at Victoria Quay.
On Oct. 17, the East Coast nation people were attacked by heavily armed RCMP, after what had been an extended, peaceful blockade of shale gas exploration near the small community of Rexton.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, now believes the raid was the opening gambit of a long-term political strategy by the Harper government. He spoke with Ha-shilth-sa on Friday, prior to attending a similar rally in Vancouver.
“I believe the heavy-handed, aggressive and brutal response on the part of the RCMP was a shot across the bow of those First Nations and environmental groups that have and continue to express opposition to the pipeline proposals in British Columbia,” Phillip said. “I think the Harper government is making a thinly-veiled threat that this is what we may expect here in B.C. if we continue our opposition.”
The Victoria Quay event was organized by Ian Ki’laas Caplette, a member of the Tsimshian Gitando Nation, Ahousaht member Alice Sam, and Robert Watts, of the Tseshaht First Nation.
More photos at the end of this report.
Watts said while the Rexton protest out east is focused on the controversial exploration practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the Oct. 17 RCMP raid has touched a nerve running across the entire country.
“It’s happening everywhere. There are big companies across Canada trying to move into First Nations territories because we have some of the richest resources – our trees, our water, and especially oil,” Watts said. “What’s happening across the country could well be a preview of what might happen here, with Raven Coal right nearby, and Catface Mining, near Tofino.”
Watts said that while historically, individual First Nations have taken on the federal government on a case by case basis, recent actions on the part of Ottawa point out the need for all first peoples to band together. Friday’s crowd also contained a good portion of non-aboriginal people.
“Hishuck-ish-Tsawalk – we are all one,” Watts said.
Caplette said the protest encompasses far more than Elsipogtog and fracking.
“It’s about the failure of the government, consistently, to approach indigenous communities in good faith and to negotiate a consent from those communities on actions which impact them,” he said.
The Rexton blockade arose after a failure by the federal government and the exploration company, SWN Resources, to consult with and obtain consent from Elsipogtog.
“They wanted to negotiate and find out exactly what the harms might be from the fracking process, and they ended up having to do their own research. They found out it was a process that could contaminate the water table of the surrounding communities.”
By that time, SWN already had the permit to conduct test drilling. Elsipogtog began protesting on the road near the site of the exploration. Caplette said the situation eventually escalated into a full-blown blockade.
“Then the RCMP just straight-out attacked them, with tear gas and pepper-spray, and arrested over 40 people. They beat people; there were women and children and elders present at the blockade. They were indiscriminately conducting violence against native people standing up for their inherent rights, for their aboriginal rights under the constitution of Canada, and also for their human rights, for access to clean drinking water. The RCMP, in this case, transcended all three of those rights.”
Standing nearby the Victoria Quay protest was RCMP Const. Mike Bigg of the local aboriginal policing section. Bigg said he had only been informed of the Rexton police action that morning, and had no plan to interfere with the protest in Port Alberni.
“I’m just here to provide for the safety of the participants,” Bigg said. “If they decide to march [on River Road], I will provide an escort.”
(Later, during his address, Caplette thanked Bigg and Port Alberni RCMP for playing a positive part in the event.)
Caplette said he is encouraged that more and more non-aboriginal Canadians are beginning to realize that, with the Harper government systematically “gutting” environmental protections, constitutional rights afforded to First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples may provide the only basis for legal challenge.
“They understand that these rights are their last best hope to block indiscriminate resource extraction,” he said.
At the same time, when non-aboriginals partner with First Nations in the fight to protect the environment, Caplette said they also come to a greater awareness of the plight of Canada’s indigenous peoples. That is why, more and more, non-aboriginal people are taking part in First Nations-driven environmental events, and making those connections.
“I think they understand that the fundamental nature of our relationship with each other actually relies on their participation: we cannot be adversaries. Adversarialism gets us to situations like Oka – situations that nobody wins – and we want to move beyond that.”
In her brief, fiery introduction, Alice Sam reminded the assembled crowd of the violence perpetrated against Elsipogtog.
“It’s time for us to take a stand, to let them know we are not standing still. We are not letting it happen here,” she said.
In his address, Caplette said the Oct. 17 RCMP action was “unacceptable and inexcusable,” when one considers that Elsipogtog members were standing up for their way of life, which includes safe drinking water.
“And what did they get for it? They got rubber bullets. They got Mace. They got pepper-spray, tear gas, vicious dogs, children being targeted with sniper rifles.”
Fortunately, he said, no one was seriously hurt, despite the violent level of confrontation.
“We stand up today because those people there are us people here. We are getting bullied; we are not being heard; we are not being accepted as human beings with a conscience and a right to speak it – a right to stand up against what we know is wrong. Because it is wrong. In a land full of wrongs, we picked today to speak out.”
Stewart Phillip said Canadians across the country are beginning to “connect the dots,” where Stephen Harper’s energy policies are headed. Added to that are B.C. Premier Christy Clark’s plans to build a new economy on liquefied natural gas.
That brings the fight full circle, he explained: LNG exports would require massive new exploration and an exponential increase in fracking in Northeastern B.C.
Currently, there are plans afoot to transport Alberta tarsand oil via pipeline (Enbridge) across B.C., to double the existing oil pipeline (Kinder Morgan) to the Lower Mainland, as well as the pipeline required to service the proposed LNG terminal.
Phillip said while environmental reviews might rule against building any of these projects, he believes Harper would simply veto the ruling and “steamroll” them ahead despite opposition.
“He has already decided that these projects are ‘in the national interest,’” he said.
Phillip now believes that the Harper government is systematically ramping up the intensity of the dialogue, dividing Canadians into two camps: pro-pipeline (by extension, pro-economy) and anti-pipeline. That portrays opposition to the pipelines as direct opposition to Canada’s national interest, and lays a minefield for the federal Liberal and NDP parties.
“We have already heard rumours that Harper might call a snap election early in the New Year, putting these issues in front of the Canadian public, and saying ‘We will let the Canadian public decide whether these projects are in the Canadian national interest.’ I am talking about Keystone [XL], I’m talking about Enbridge and Kinder Morgan and even the Pipeline East [Alberta to the Maritimes] proposal.”
Phillip noted that at a recent speech in New York, Harper said “he was not prepared to take no for an answer” on the Keystone XL project.
“Harper has committed to tripling the expansion of the tarsands development, and he is suggesting that the economy of this country hangs in the balance. I think what’s going on in New Brunswick, and more importantly, the response to what’s going on, is sending a very clear signal that Harper will stop at nothing to ram these projects through and to crush any opposition to these projects, whether that opposition be political, legal or on the ground.”
