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(singing and drumming)

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Mi'kmaq territories in so-called Rexton, 
New Brunswick, October 2013

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For over 2 weeks now, a coalition of
people including local Mi'kmaq residents,

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and anglophone and Acadian settlers,
have blockaded the road leading to

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an equipment compound leased to 
Southwestern 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

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hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking".

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But since this past summer, protests,
direct actions, and sabotage

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have thwarted their work, and have turned
public opinion on the side of protesters.

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(Pamela) Fracking is dangerous, it's not
worth risking our water. Even if they

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drill five wells and nothing happens,
if they drill the sixth well it could

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be a disaster and it's just, 
our water is not worth it.

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Our land is not worth it, and the future
generations deserve better.

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(Narrator) Throughout the summer, police
arrested dozens of people

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conducting nonviolent civil disobedience,
but since the arrival of members of

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the Mi'kmaq Warrior Society, the police
have not been as keen

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to come near protesters.

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(Jason) Last thursday, we had the highest
red-alert in New Brunswick,

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that was involving 500 RCMP members,
on both sides of the highway,

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and we did a stand-off with them for a
few hours, and stuff then was resolved

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a little bit, peace was resolved, and they
were on their side,

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and we were on our side, and we're still
remaining peaceful,

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and they're still remaining peaceful.

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(Narrator) 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) This barricade that has 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 have stated in their
court proceedings.

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They have also stated that they're really
upset and angry with the provisions

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that we have available to us.

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(Narrator) During my short stay here, 
I witnessed the cooperation

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between natives and settlers, 
a partnership that has kept

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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 and the media

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for not arresting the protesters.

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(Stefanie) 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 heart, the planet,
the water, the animal.

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I'm fight for my children.

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It's important for us to keep
what we've got now.

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(Jason) 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. 
We weren't getting along.

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Til the one, they started messing
our water. Then we became this.

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This became stonger. 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. 
And when we become as one,

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that is the most biggest voice 
we can ever bring, saying

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"NO to shale gas!"

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(singing and drumming)