Yellowknife residents join in country-wide protest for Indigenous rights

About 30 protesters in Yellowknife joined Canada-wide demonstrations Tuesday, supporting a First Nation inB.C. that continues to bar a pipeline company from accessing its territory.

"This is not what reconciliation looks like, and we have a right to use our voices, live our gifts and ensure that accountability takes place," said Kiera Dawn Kolson, the rally's organizer outside of Liberal MP Michael McLeod'soffice .

Monday, RCMP in British Columbia arrested 14 people and broke down a fortified checkpoint at the Gidimt'encamp on a forest service road to enforcea court injunction that would grantthe CoastalGasLinknatural gas pipeline project access to theroad and a bridge.

Indigenous groups across Canada will continue to show their support for their Pacific brothers and sisters, Kolson said.

"We're with you, we're here in solidarity. We love you," she said."You're not alone and what you're doing is so important and so necessary and we just love you so much.

"We're supposed to have these human rights [laws] in place to protect the people but here's a case where [the law is]being utilized to protect corporate interest."

What started as a loud rally in nearly -30 C moved inside the building where McLeod's office is locatedanddemonstrators posted signs on the office doors.

The signs call for the federal government to protect Article 10 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples. The declarationstates Indigenous people shall not be forcibly removed from their land or territories.

The "militarized" police presence near the First Nation in B.C., breaks thatdeclaration, said Deneze Nakehk'o, a Yellowknife resident who is Dene.

"What we saw is an act of terrorism by Canada on Indigenous peoples," said Nakehk'o. "Chalk it up to reconciliation 2019. That's what it looks like now, armed military police going in on traditional territory of Indigenous people, to remove them from traditional territory for fracking a pipeline."

Nakehk'o added this decision goes against Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's promises to protect the rights of Indigenous people and create a more environmentally-friendly country.

"This sets a precedent that oil companies can rely on RCMP to push their agenda for more pipelines and more gas [projects]," he said.

McLeod was not present during the protest. He was in Hay River, N.W.T., announcing an $8.9-million fish plant. Buta representative from McLeod's office said he does not oppose the protest and thatthe office is meant "for the people."