Native alliance to block oil pipelines

[ConsRcons]

And this 'alliance' is nothing to dismiss casually. They're determined
to block the pipelines.

Still got your investments in oil resources?
__________________________________________

Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:32pm EDT

Canadian and U.S. natives vow to block oil pipelines

OTTAWA (Reuters) - An alliance of Canadian and U.S. aboriginal groups
vowed on Wednesday to block three multibillion-dollar oil pipelines that
are planned to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands, saying they are
prepared to take physical action to stop them.

The Canadian government, faced with falling revenues due to pipeline
bottlenecks and a glut that has cut the price for Alberta oil, say the
projects are a national priority and will help diversify exports away
from the U.S. market.

But the alliance of 10 native bands - all of whose territories are
either near the crude-rich tar sands or on the proposed pipeline routes
- complain Ottawa and Washington are ignoring their rights.

They also say building the pipelines would boost carbon-intensive oil
sands production and therefore speed up the pace of climate change.

"Indigenous people are coming together with many, many allies across the
United States and Canada, and we will not allow these pipelines to cross
our territories," said Phil Lane Jr, a hereditary chief from the
Ihanktonwan Dakota in the state of South Dakota.

"Along with every single legal thing that can be done, there is direct
action going on now to plan how to physically stop the pipelines," he
told a news conference in Ottawa.

The pipeline projects in question are:

* TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL to Texas, which is awaiting approval
from Washington

* Enbridge Inc's Northern Gateway to the Pacific Coast, which if built
will help export oil to China

* Kinder Morgan Energy Partners LP's plans to more than double the
capacity of its existing Trans Mountain pipeline to Vancouver

Some Canadian aboriginal bands briefly blockaded roads and rail lines in
January as part of a national protest dubbed "Idle No More" against the
poor living conditions that many natives endure.

They say the Canadian government is ignoring treaties signed with native
bands in the 18th and 19th centuries. These agreements, they say, give
aboriginal groups a major say in what happens on their territories.

"They've been stealing from us for the last 200 years ... now they're
going to destroy our land? We're not going to let that happen," said
Martin Louie of the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation in British Columbia.

"If we have to go to court, if we have to stand in front of any of their
machines that are going to take the oil through, we are going to do
that. We're up against a wall here. We have nowhere else to go."

U.S. environmentalists are urging President Barack Obama to block the
Keystone XL pipeline. Greens and native bands also oppose the Northern
Gateway, saying if there were a spill it could cause an environmental
disaster and jeopardize traditional ways.

Canada's Conservative government on Tuesday appointed a lawyer to gather
views of native groups across British Columbia on energy development and
report back to Ottawa.

Federal Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, asked abut the bands'
comments on Wednesday, said the government expects citizens to respect
the law.

"If we do not go ahead with infrastructure, with pipelines to move our
resources to tidewater and on to markets that want the resources, we
will see them stranded and our legacy lost," he told the Canadian
Broadcasting Corp.

"The people who will be hurt by this will be Canadians and we don't want
that happen and we are determined it will not happen," he said.

The Nadleh Whut'en have teamed with four other British Columbia First
Nations against Northern Gateway in a group called Yinka Dene Alliance.
They have long said they will not allow the pipeline, which is now the
subject of public hearings, to go through their territories.

For its part, Enbridge said it is well aware of the group's opposition.
The company says it has agreements with 60 percent of the aboriginal
communities along Northern Gateway's proposed route that will give those
communities equity stakes in the project.

"The Yinka Dene Alliance's position hasn't changed for years, even with
several attempts to sit down and discuss issues and try to address their
concerns," Enbridge spokesman Todd Nogier said. "We see the federal
government's announcement yesterday (of a representative to meet with
natives) as a very positive one. It's one that works to address bigger
issues beyond any single project."