Corridors of Resistance: Stopping Oil and Gas Pipelines
By Leah Temper
Film Review
Corridors of Resistance is about the inspiring Unisto’ot’en campaign in northwest British Columbia to block the intrusion of oil and gas companies on their territory. This has to be the most effective grassroots challenge I’ve seen to the supposedly unchallengeable oil and gas industry.
Although the Unisto’ot’en never ceded their territory by treaty, British Columbia and the former Harper government illegally granted seven oil and gas companies concessions for ten pipelines. The purpose of the pipelines is to carry tar sands condensate, fracked natural gas and liquefied natural gas to Pacific seaports.
The right of Unisto’ot’en to occupy their unceded traditional lands was recognized by the Canadian high court in 1997.
The Canadian indigenous group isn’t merely protecting their land rights. They also have major concerns about the health and environmental effects of fracking and tar sands mining. Studies show people living adjacent to these activities are dying of cancer and losing livestock owing to air and water contamination. Likewise a pipeline spill or leak could wipe out the salmon and animals they hunt, which would be catastrophic to their survival.
The Unisto’ot’en also worry about Canada’s excessive reliance on fossil fuels and the threat it poses to climate stability.
Many “colonized” (ie city dwelling) Unisto’ot’en, as well as European supporters, are moving back to their traditional land to help maintain the blockade.
My favorite part is the scenes in which Unist’ot’en women confront oil and gas workers who attempt to enter their territory and turn them away.
The Most Revolutionary Act 
Wonderful! Excellent!
It seems you are right, people are beginning to stand up to all of this tyrannical bullshit!
The oil industry was fracking in Ohio, and earthquake activity went sky high; something like one hundred times the normal occurrences in and around the areas where this fracking was taking place.
The last I heard was that people raised so much hell about what was happening, in these areas, that the fracking has been discontinued in Ohio, which of course, led to massive layoffs of people in a state plagued by high unemployment.
But destroying the environment is not the way to create jobs!
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I think the low oil price is also helping put the fracking companies out of business. According to Richard Heinberg in Snake Oil, most of them are heavily indebted to Wall Street. If they’re already having difficulty making repayments, dealing with fractious protesters can push them over the edge. This is what we’re finding here in New Plymouth. Several of the US and Canadian frackers are simply pulling out. It’s not worth the trouble.
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Thanks for sharing. Our struggle is great and it’s being fought on several fronts.
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I’ve always felt it was a matter of looking for strategic opportunities. You can’t expect to put out all the fires at onc.
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Canadian corporation CEOs and government officials agreed on going forward with laying out and building the pipelines, with the idea that the indigenous people wouldn’t notice or react in opposition. The CEOs and politicians, instead of sitting down and holding honorable talks, showed disrespect and arrogance, but learned in this instance for some people such behavior doesn’t cut it. An excellent example for all facing corrupt manipulation and dishonorable operators.
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I think corporations are increasingly on notice, with the Occupy movement and social media, the the people they screw over will notice what their doing and react militantly.
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Things will be heating up in Canada with new Minister of Justice being indigenous Chief
http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/sleeves-rolled-up-canada-s-new-justice-minister-eager-to-get-started-1.2644037
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Let’s hope she isn’t co-opted the way the Bureau of Indian affairs was in the US.
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Reblogged this on Puppet Master's Slave Market and commented:
I am ready to join the tribe
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Reblogged this on An Outsider's Sojourn II.
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Reblogged this on Nevada State Personnel Watch.
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