WEBVTT

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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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[<i>Pamela Ross</i>] 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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[ <i>Stimulator</i>] 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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[<i>Jason Okay</i>] 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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[<i>Stimulator</i>] 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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[<i>Suzanne Patles</i>] 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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[<i>Stimulator</i>] 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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[<i>Stefanie Lafontaine</i>] 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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[ <i>Captions by Radical Access Mapping Project, 
On Un-ceded Coast Salish Territory, 2013</i> ]