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Mikmaq territories, in so-called
"Rexton, New Brunswick", October, 2013.
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For over two weeks now,
a coalition of people including
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local Mikmaq residents,
and anglophone and Acadian settlers,
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have blockaded the road leading to an equipment
compound leased to South Western Energy or SWN.
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SWN is a Texas based energy company,
that has been attempting to conduct
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natural gas exploration
in the area's shale formations.
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It is believed that if significant deposits
of gas are found,
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SWN would then employ the controversial extraction
method of hydraulic fracturing or fracking.
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But since this past summer, protests, direct
actions and sabotage have thwarted their work,
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and have turned public opinion
on the side of the protesters.
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[Pamela Ross] Fracking is dangerous,
it's not worth risking our water
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even if they drill 5 wells
and nothing happens,
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if they drill the 6th well
and it could be a disaster,
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and it's just, our water is not worth it.
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Our land is not worth it.
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And the future generations deserve better.
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[ Stimulator] Throughout the summer,
police arrested dozens of people
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conducting non-violent civil disobedience.
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But since the arrival of members of
the Mikmaq warrior society,
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the police have not been as keen
to come near protesters.
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[Jason Okay] Last Thursday?
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We had the highest red alert in New Brunswick
that was involving 500 RCMP members,
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on both sides of the highway.
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And we did a stand off with them for a few hours,
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and stuff then was resolved a little bit,
peace was resolved,
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and then they were on their side,
and we were on our side.
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And we're still remaining peaceful,
and they're still remaining peaceful.
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[Stimulator] The blockade is preventing SWN from operating thumper trucks,
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massive vehicles that gather seismic data
to determine the location of natural gas.
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[Suzanne Patles] This barricade that's been
happening here at SWN resource compound
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has been costing the company
upwards of $60,000 per day,
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which is what they're stated
in their court procedings.
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They've also stated that, um,
they're really upset and angry
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with the provisions that we
have available to us.
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[Stimulator] During my short stay here
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I've witnessed the co-operation
between natives and settlers,
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a partnership that has kept this blockade
fully stocked and operational.
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Food, wood, hot coffee, tents
and other supplies keep streaming in,
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all the while SWN berates the police in the media for not arresting the protesters.
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[Stefanie Lafontaine] We are here for fight
for the same reason,
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so it's important to everybody to stay together.
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I'm fighting for the hearts, the planet,
the water, the animal;
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I'm fight for my children,
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ah, it's important to us
to keep what we've got now.
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We have Mi'kmaq, we have Acadians,
we have English,
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so we all came together,
that's why we became a unity camp.
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Before, we were like this:
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We weren't gettin' along,
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til the one day they started messing with our water,
then we became this:
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This became stronger,
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now the government knows that we are strong,
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and that we are helping each other,
we are talking with each other,
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we are becoming as one.
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And when we become as one,
that is the most biggest voice we can ever bring,
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saying "No to shale gas!"
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[ Captions by Radical Access Mapping Project,
On Un-ceded Coast Salish Territory, 2013 ]