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http://intercontinentalcry.org/blood-tribe-members-call-for-

moratorium-on-hydro-fracking/ 

Blood Tribe Members Call for Moratoriumon Hydro Fracking

By John Schertow  – March 11, 2011

5,000 kilometres away from the Whycocomagh Reserve in CapeBreton–where members of the Waycobah Nation are speaking out against hydro fracking–members of the Blood Tribe have started

calling for a moratorium on the controversial extraction processwithin their own reserve in southern Alberta.

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In late 2010, Kainaiwa Resources Inc. (KRI), a company that’s solely

owned by the Blood Tribe, quietly signed off on a deal with theCalgary-based junior mining company Bowood Energy and the U.S.company Murphy Oil.

“The deal netted the Blood Tribe at least $50 Million and potentiallymore revenue in the future,” says Protect Blood Land, a new

grassroots effort led by concerned Blood members, including theBlood/Sámi student and activist, Maija Tailfeathers.

In exchange for the $50 Million, Bowood Energy and Murphy Oilgained a five-year lease to roughly 129, 280 acres, almost half of the

Blood’s reserve, for oil and gas exploration. During that time, thetwo companies will be allowed to use hydro fracking on no fewerthan 16 drill sites on the reserve.

Murphy Oil (red) and Bowood Energy (brown) concessions 

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Hydro fracking  (also known as hydraulic fracturing or just simply“fracking”) is a process in which hundreds of toxic chemicals and

millions of litres of drinkable water are “injected” at high pressureinto underground rock formations. The process shatters the rock like a broken windshield, creating pathways for the companies todraw out any oil and gas deposits within the rock.

In most cases, up to 70% of the chemicals used in fracking (some of which are extremely toxic to humans) are non-recoverable, whichmeans they stay underground, where they can travel with the oil

and gas into local water sources. This is a sadly common occurrencewith fracking. In New Mexico, for instance, the chemicals leachedinto the water table at 800 different sites. According to recent reports, fracking can also mobilize uranium and other radioactivematerial that may be present in the rock.

This is the biggest concern for the Blood: “the toxic nature of the

drilling and its capacity to do irreversible damage to the land andwater on the Blood Reserve and surrounding areas,” says Protect 

Blood Land. “Furthermore, fracking poses a major threat t o humanhealth, wildlife and livestock.” 

Also known as the Kainai, the Bloods (a name given to them byEuropean traders for their use of red ocre) are one of four memberNations of the once-powerful Blackfoot Confederacy, whosetraditional territory stretched from the North Saskatchewan Riverclose to what is now Edmonton, Alberta, to the Yellowstone River in

Montana. Other Confederacy members include the Siksika and thePeigan Nations in Alberta, and the Blackfeet Nation in Montana.

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The Blood reserve itself, occupying about 884 square kilometres and

with a member population of over 10,000, is the single largest reserve in Canada. The reserve was formed after the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877. Though Treay 7 was considered to be a PeaceTreaty, it also provided the Bloods with compensation following thedestruction of their primary economic resource, the Buffalo.

After the devastating loss, the Bloods, like so many other PlainsPeoples, were forced to rely on government rations and agriculturefor subsistence.

The Bloods still practice agriculture today; but they have never fullyrecovered from the historic loss. As Maija Tailfeathers explained toIntercontinental Cry, “over 70% of those living on reserve are also

on social assistance; simply because we do not have employment 

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opportunities on reserve,” said Tailfeathers. “The jobs that do exist are essentially all under tribal employment.” 

Given the economic situation on the reserve, the new agreement 

with Bowood Energy and Murphy Oil certainly tipped a few scales infavour of the Blood; but only for a limited time. And given the natureof fracking, it may also come at a heavy cost that no one is preparedfor, as Protect Blood Land points out all too clearly:

“Blood Tribe members are encouraged to look at this from a critical

perspective. What does this mean for our land and people? It is afive-year lease. What happens in five years time? This deal offers

short-term employment for a limited population. What happens tothose jobs when the oil companies move on to their next venture?What happens to the place that we, the Niitsitapi, have called homefor thousands of years? We are left with a landscape pocked-markedby wells which have sucked the land dry and left our waterundrinkable. Furthermore, we are left with life-long health issues

such as neurological disorders, cancer, asthma, and the list goes on.This, all in the name of ‘economic development’. Ultimately, your

health and well-being along with all future generations of Niitsitapihave been compromised for short-term monetary gain; a paycheque. We must demand a moratorium on all planned gas & oilexploration negotiated in this deal. We owe it to our ancestors,ourselves, and all future generations to protect Blood land.”  

In addition to the the risks and limited benefits, Blood members arealso concerned about the actual agreement and the conditions underwhich it was signed. According to Protect Blood Land, no one from

the reserve was consulted before it was finalized. As well, “KRI andthe Blood Tribe Chief and Council neglected to maintain any degreeof 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,” says Protect Blood Land. 

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For these reasons, Protect Blood Land has set up a petition foranyone living on the reserve and the surrounding OldmanWatershed that wishes to object to the agreements and urge amoratorium on all planned oil and gas exploration until a

referendum has taken place on the Reserve. The petition alsodemands the right to free expression “without concern of 

prosecution or threats by Blood Tribe Chief and Council or theiragents” as well as the end of any attempts at coercion “in the form of 

threatening the employment of anyone who works under BloodTribe and speaks against the agreements.” 

Petition for Blood Tribe members and Oldman Watershed

residents:http://www.gopetition.com/petition/42112.html 

A second petition has also been set up for anyone else that wishes tostand in solidarity with all Blood members opposed to Fracking ontheir land.

Petition for Individuals who are NOT tribe members nor livingin the region:

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/42138.html 

For more information, please visit  http://protectbloodland.ca