Mi’kmaq First Nation and Elsipogtoq First Nation and their allies fear another fight in looming as they struggle to protect the water for the next seven generations.
In an alert spread by Elsipogtog War Chief, John Levi, SWN is expected to bring its seismic “Thumper Trucks” back into the area to continue to explore for shale gas, which it would extract through fracking.
Rumours from the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society is that SWN will be “thumping” for three days come Wednesday will the full support of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) clearing the roads and protecting the seismic equipment (possibly even Highway 11).
Support from the blockaders is not simply drawn from First Nations communities; the media has so far overlooked the solidarity work the Acadians have done on the ground, so there is solid allies support for the actions of the Mi’kmaq Warrior Society.
Lawyers tried to end the standoff by negotiating the release of any activist still in custody if SWN were allowed to continue its exploration of the land. Chief Levi refused to negotiate.
Meanwhile in the Maritimes, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has established a moratorium on fracking.
Its Minister of Natural Resources, Derrick Dalley, said that the government would not be “accepting applications for onshore and onshore to offshore petroleum exploration using hydraulic fracturing.”
First Nations groups and their allies were elated with the news, which was announced last week.
“We are thrilled about Newfoundland’s moratorium and commend the government’s decision. We urge the government to take its time to investigate all the evidence on all aspects of fracking, and be truly consultative by incorporating community and First Nations input into their final decision,” says Angela Giles, Atlantic regional organizer for the Council of Canadians.”
“Clearly this is something that the New Brunswick government could learn from given the reopening of the legislature yesterday to a huge rally of opponents of fracking for shale gas. The New Brunswick government should follow suit and place a moratorium on fracking in order to conduct similar reviews and hold genuine public consultation,” she said.
More news about the SWN demonstrations as they roll in.
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