Arrests made in Blood Tribe fracking blockade

Three women fromthe Kainai Blood Tribe have been arrested in connection with a protest at a fracking operationin southern Alberta.

Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Jill Crop Eared Wolf and Lois Frank were arrested Saturday and charged with trespassing and intimidation after a convoy of Murphy Oil trucks was blocked overnight Friday. About a dozen Blood Tribe members reportedly participated inthe blockade.

Tailfeathers said members of the band feelbetrayed by their chief and council who, without consulting tribal members, leased half of the Blood Tribe land in southern Alberta, which liesbetween the Old Man, St. Mary and Belly rivers.

"Indigenous peoples have the right to protect our land, our water, our air, and we just felt like chief and council were not doing their part to respect that integral right," she told CBC News.

Plans call for 200 wells to be drilled using thecontroversial practice of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking,which has already started.

The group said they felt they had exhausted all options. They hadgone to Indian and Northern Affairs, the Energy Resources Conservation Boardand Murphy Oil. Each told them to go back to their chief and council.

"It's really difficult, we really feel like we have nowhere to turn," Tailfeathers said.

A meeting between Blood Tribe members and the chief and council was scheduled for Saturday, but no one from the council turned up, Tailfeathers said.

Blood Tribe police refused to comment or confirm thecharges.

Tailfeathers said the women's first court date is Sept. 19.

The Kainai Blood Tribe is part of the Blackfoot Confederacy.

Its administrative headquarters are in Stand Off, Alta., approximately 200kilometres south of Calgary.