Source: Indigenous Environmental Network
UPDATE: Sept. 10, 2011 – Blood Tribe Women Arrested!
Blood Reserve, First Nations’ Women Arrested, Charged with Trespass on their own Land, Jailed Over Night, Released With Threats of MORE FINES and Charges
Two videos at the end of this posting
WOMEN members of the Blood Tribe; Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers, Lois Frank, and Jill Crop Earred Wolf were arrested September 9, 2011 and charged with trespass in their own community on Blood Tribe land by tribal law enforcement and RCMP. Although they could have been booked and released from the tribal jail Friday evening, the chief, instead, held them all night and released them the morning of September 10, 2011 with the threat, that if they continued their blockade and protest each person would be arrested, charged and fined $1,500!
NOTE: In late 2010, Kainaiwa Resources Inc. (KRI) quietly signed off on a deal with the Calgary-based junior mining company Bowood Energy and the U.S. company Murphy Oil. In exchange for the $50 Million, Bowood Energy and Murphy Oil gained a five-year lease to roughly 129, 280 acres, almost half of the Blood’s reserve, for oil and gas exploration.
More actions are planned – and calling on more people to join them!
**If you are interested in helping to support this action**
Please Contact For More Information:
Lois Frank 403-795-7945
Mike Bruisedhead 403-737-2194
UPDATE: September 9, 2011
Sept. 9, 2011: From Maiji Tailfeathers: “Just got arrested. In the back of the cop car with Lois Frank. Texting with handcuffs. 3 Blood Tribe women.” Photos by Arnell Tailfeathers
Early [September 9, 2011] numerous women from the Blood Nation have courageously parked in front of Murphy Oil’s fracking development site vowing not to move until plans of fracking for oil and gas are stopped. The women are part of the Kainai Earth Watch and have been active advocates to stop the fracking due to the major threat to human health, wildlife and livestock and the irreversible damage to the land and water on the Blood Reserve and surrounding areas. They feel this is the only choice left to them to stop the operations as plans for construction begin tomorrow [September 10, 2011].
In late 2010, Kainaiwa Resources Inc. (KRI) quietly signed off on a deal with the Calgary-based junior mining company Bowood Energy and the U.S. company Murphy Oil. In exchange for the $50 Million, Bowood Energy and Murphy Oil gained a five-year lease to roughly 129, 280 acres, almost half of the Blood’s reserve, for oil and gas exploration.
Since that time local residents of the Blood Nation and surrounding communities have come together to oppose the projects. Members of the KaiNai Earth Watch have partnered with numerous community groups, including the Lethbridge Council of Canadians, to host numerous educational workshops, organize petitions, and meet with government officials. Despite their efforts, nothing has been effective in actually preventing the fracking from going ahead.
Plans of construction on four new fracking sites begin tomorrow. The women have vowed not to leave until they are confident the fracking won’t go ahead.
The first issue is the toxic nature of the drilling and its capacity to do irreversible damage to the land and water on the Blood Reserve and surrounding areas. Furthermore, fracking poses a major threat to human health, wildlife and livestock.
The second issue at hand is the nature of the deal between KRI, Murphy Oil, and Bowood Energy. We believe this to be highly problematic for a number of reasons:
- Blood Tribe members were NOT consulted during the negotiations of this deal even though the drilling will occur on Blood Tribe land.
- KRI and the Blood Tribe Chief and Council neglected to maintain any degree of transparency during and after the negotiations. Ultimately, leaving a large population of tribe members completely unaware of the situation until after the deal was made.
- Above all else, the health and well-being of Blood Tribe members and all future generations will be compromised due to the rash and reckless decision by KRI and Blood Tribe Chief and Council to sign this deal with Murphy Oil and Bowood Energy
For more information on hydraulic fracturing here:
READ: Murphy Oil’s environmental history spotty
READ: Huffington Post – Fracking News, Videos, Information
WATCH: Is Your Water at Risk from Fracking?
READ: Hydraulic Fracturing 101
READ: Why should fracking be banned?
An Arrest:
GJEP stands in solidarity with the Blood Tribe and all that are having their land taken by corporate power. Is it possible you meant “dysfunction” instead of “disfunction”?
Always the victim. The native canadiens need to finally be held accountable for the mistakes of those chosen. These two companies like most in Alberta will only bring needed revenue to the reservation which will hopefully be used for the good of everyone. The reason the Blood Tribe is upset is due to their own disfunction. What better scapegoat then an oil company. Not buying this anymore.