Carleton’s First Peoples Council (FPC) held a protest Oct. 21 in opposition to the arrests of shale gas opponents made in Rexton, N.B. Many of those arrested were from the El’sipogtog First Nation community.
Gabrielle Castilloux, a Mi’kmaq person from Gesgapegiag, Quebec and president of the FPC at Carleton, said she was outraged by reports of police brutality in the region.
“I decided to run an event that could positively outlet people’s emotions while creating awareness through the flyers and letting people help out with the petition,” she said.
The petition was to free those still being held captive and amassed more than 100 signatures, she said.
The protest of 40 or 50 people, which Castilloux organized, took place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., moving from the Unicentre atrium to the quad. It included a round dance, drumming, and singing.
“There were indigenous people at the demonstration that were Algonquin, Ojibwa, Chippewa, Cree, and several other tribes, as well as non-indigenous people,” Castilloux said.
The ceremony included the Mi’kmaq Honour Song, which she said “speaks about all indigenous people being proud of their culture, and of joining together in peace.”
The protest also included a traditional smudging ceremony, which Castilloux said erases negative energy and was used to send prayers for the people in New Brunswick.
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