Lois Frank blocking a truck on Sept. 9
The Canadian Press reports, “Three women facing a charge of intimidation for blocking a road used by an oil company on an Alberta First Nation” were in court in Cardston yesterday.
“Lois Frank said outside court on Monday that aboriginal people have a right under the Constitution to be consulted and protected on their land and she will use that argument for her defence. Frank and the two others were arrested Sept. 9 on the Blood reserve, southeast of Calgary. The Blood Tribe´s resources company granted Murphy Oil permission to drill wells and at sites on their reserve south of Calgary. But Frank and the other two women say the band council did not consult with band members before granting that permission.”
On the evening of their arrest, Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow said, “In June I had the honour of being invited by members of the Blood Nation to visit their beautiful land, and I was incredibly moved to witness firsthand the unswerving commitment of the people there to stop fracking from poisoning their water, land and people. I declared then that they had my complete support in their struggle, and today I once again offer my absolute solidarity to the Kainai people who are putting their bodies on the line to stop this destructive process.”
The Council of Canadians has also made a contribution to their legal defence.
The Canadian Press article notes, “The women’s next court date is Dec. 21.”
Additional blogs on this can be read at http://canadians.org/blog/?s=kainai.
