Dec 6 9:30 PM

Elsipogtog: The Fire Over Water

Fault Lines on Al Jazeera America

Fault Lines travels to Mi’kmaq territory in New Brunswick, Canada to find out what happens when a First Nation says no to fracking.

On October 17, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police raided a protest site set up by Mi’kmaq people and their supporters trying to prevent a Texas-based corporation from fracking.  The company had received rights to explore for shale gas by the province of New Brunswick.

Carried out by police with dogs and automatic weapons, the raid turned to chaos as residents of the Elsipogtog First Nation arrived to confront them. Police pepper-sprayed elders and fired sock rounds to control the crowd. Six police vehicles were set ablaze.  Some 40 people were arrested.

It was the most spectacular eruption yet of a struggle led by indigenous people to protect land they say they’ve never ceded and water they consider sacred – a struggle that grew quietly for three years, and shows no sign of slowing now.

Fault Lines has traveled to New Brunswick to ask why their fight caught fire, and find out what happens when Canada’s First Nations say no to resource extraction projects they oppose.


Credits:
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: Mathieu Skene, SENIOR PRODUCERs: Reem Akkad @reemakkad and Paul Sapin @paulsapin, CORRESPONDENT: Wab Kinew @wabkinew, DP: Joel VanHaren @joelvanharen with Nicole Salazar @nicolesalazar, Andrea Schmidt @whatescapes, PRODUCER: Andrea Schmidt @whatescapes, EDITOR & POST-PRODUCTION: Warwick Meade @warwickmeade, PRODUCTION ASSISTANCE: Abdulai Bah @africandobah, Nicole Salazar @nicolesalazar, Omar Duwaji @mideasternist, Laurin-Whitney Gottbrath @elledubg, Michelle Koepp @MichelleKoepp, DIGITAL PRODUCTION: Kristen Taylor @kthread and Danielle Powell @daniellejenene, PRODUCTION SUPPORT: Amma Prempeh, SPECIAL THANKS: Frank Lopez @stimulator, Miles Howe @mileshowe, Chris Sabas, Danny Knockwood, Xanadu NB, @amandalickers, @APTNnews, Ossie Michelin @osmich, James Robinson, and Tom Fennario

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“I’m going to tell my kids from the grave I’m doing this for them. And for your children, too!”

Jason Augustine, Mi’kmaq Warrior Society

Fault Lines on Al Jazeera America

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