Roseau chief stakes claim to pipeline revenue

HASKETT, Man. -- Representatives of seven Treaty One First Nations erected a teepee on a grassy strip about a kilometre north of the Manitoba-North Dakota border this afternoon, staging a preview of what could become an ugly confrontation over unfulfilled treaty obligations.

VIDEO: Treaty One First Nations protest
VIDEO: Aboriginal Day of Action

"This is our land," Terry Nelson, the controversial chief of Roseau River First Nation, told the group of about 100 aboriginal people and university students who travelled from across southern Manitoba for today's rally.

The site, about 18 kilometres south of Winkler, is a parcel of land where two oil pipelines will one day cross from Canada, carrying 1.3 million barrels of oil every day into the United States.

The Treaty One bands are using the pipeline project to squeeze Ottawa to honour treaty obligations.

"We don't want a confrontation... we want what is owed to us," Dennis Meeches, chief of Long Plain First Nation, said.

The Treaty One group, which includes the First Nations of Roseau River, Brokenhead, Swan Lake, Long Plains, Peguis, Sagkeeng and Sandy Bay, has already filed a court motion to stop construction of the pipeline through what they claim is traditional Treaty One territory.

They want a share of the profits from the sale of oil or they won't allow the pipeline to be constructed.

Nelson said that even though the First Nations gave up the land to Ottawa when Treaty One was signed more than 100 years ago, the federal government has repeatedly violated the treaty and ignored several rulings from the Supreme Court upholding aboriginal rights.

Meeches said the pipelines will carry $47 billion worth of oil every year, adding money can be found to address Aboriginal concerns.

"Everyone is getting paid but the little brown man," Nelson said.

The 100 people who participated in the rally included about 20 students from the U of M and the U of W, who were there in support.

Meeches said the teepee would only stay up for a few hours and then be taken down. He said that any further protests would depend on the outcome of the court action or any moves by Ottawa to resolve outstanding treaty disputes.

The rally drew a much smaller crowd than the 500 people that Nelson had hoped would attend but he said the event proved there is strong Aboriginal support to successfully carry out a blockade of the pipeline project if a fee-sharing arrangement can't be worked out.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca