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Press Release

CALL OUT: SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORT FOR ELSIPOGTOG
MEDIA RELEASE
This is an official notice and "Call Out" to all Idle No More & Defenders of the Land - Sovereignty Summer - activists, allies and supporters, and partnership organizations to act in aid and in the defence of grassroots Elsipogtog First Nation, families, community members, and supporters near Moncton, New Brunswick - Elsipogtog First Nation. Please see below for more information about how you can participate and help make a difference.

A press conference is scheduled for 10:00 am, Thursday June 27th at the Fisheries Training Development Center on the Elsipogtog First Nation, across from the Elsipogtog Motor Inn. Directions here: http://bit.ly/124aOf7

In attendance will be Chief Aaron Sock of Elsipogtog, Keptin Noel Joe Augustine of the Grand Council District 6, Warrior Chief John Levi of Elsipogtog and Wendall Nicholas, director of the local peacekeeping group. The press conference will be moderated by Wendell Metallic, Councillor of the Listuguj First Nation.

The purpose of the meeting will be to outline the ongoing strategy to promote public safety while maintaining the community's right to oppose shale gas development in Kent County.

More details of the plan will be unveiled during the press conference and members of the team will be available for interviews at that time.

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In the last few weeks, Elsipogtog First Nation community members and allies have taken peaceful action to prevent seismic testing vehicles and workers from testing for shale gas deposits for purposes of resource exploitation on Indigenous territories.

The protestors have remained strong and peaceful for numerous days and the RCMP have become more aggressive and violent; arresting a man as he held a sacred pipe in his hand, as well as arresting community members at the site of the sacred fire. SWN contractors have also threatened to run over Mi'kmaq youth at the site.

In total, this past weekends Aboriginal Day's 12 arrests brings the total number of arrestees to 29 from both the Mi'kmaq and non-Indigenous communities near the location of a sacred fire being kept (located at the junction of highways 126 and 116 west) in Kent County near Moncton. These arrests included the arrest of a eight and a half month pregnant Mi'kmaq woman as well as local man, Dave Morang. Mr. Morang was injured by an SWN-contracted security truck, who failed to stop after hitting him.This peaceful resistance is on-going to prevent SWN Resources Canada from fracking in the immediate area.

INM organizers have been in contact with Elsipogtog First Nation community members and have requested further support.

Sovereignty Summer Campaign-Idle No More & Defenders of the Land

Media Release: http://idlenomore.ca/item/241-solidarity-with-elsipogtog
Backup Link: http://on.fb.me/11LUsI7

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Call to Action PSA: WarChief - John Levi & Amy Sock of Elsipogtog First Nations:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nFBJ-OEa-N4

For directions to the sacred fire and other information, visit
http://sacredfirenb.wordpress.com/

For more information please contact:

Elsipogtog First Nation -
Amy Jo Augustine - Local Media Contact
506 523 3826

Sovereignty Summer Campaigner
Clayton Thomas-Muller
cell 613 297 7515
www.idlenomore.ca

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HOW TO PARTICIPATE

We are united to protect our natural environment, our homes, our rights, and our communities from the tremendous damage and hardship that unconventional shale gas development has done to many rural communities in the past decade.

When we gather at a protest site, we are exercising our human rights to peacefully assemble in protest of the shale gas industry in our region, which threatens our own and our family's health, well-being and quality of life.

We expect all our supporters to remember to present a clear, positive and consistent image of why we are protesting.
- Bring nothing to the protest area that could be seen as a weapon in any way.
- Show RESPECT FOR EVERYONE.
- No verbal abuse.
- No damage of vehicles and equipment.
- Pay close attention to what is happening. Beware of agitators or undisciplined people who cannot control themselves. Immediately move away from aggressive persons. Isolate any people who act in a manner that does not fit with this mission statement as they are not part of this peaceful movement.

Currently there are several event pages to organize our peaceful protest, and we encourage people to start others for their own individual communities based on these principles. It is recommended to bring camera's for recording events when in attendance, for both safety purposes as well as to share media of the events to social networks. In Unity, for future generations. Welalin, Merci, Thank You.

EVENT PAGES
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The Sacred Fire is Lit
https://www.facebook.com/events/451969464893759/

Daily March Moncton NB
https://www.facebook.com/events/473002476119756/

INM Grassroots in solidarity Online Seminar
https://www.facebook.com/events/441295572634571/

GROUPS
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RIDE SHARES - Transportation to Elsipogtog Sacred Fire~ From ANYWHERE
https://www.facebook.com/groups/nofrackingwaynb/

The Scared Fire is Lit, time to UNITE! - This is group is to help keep everyone informed as to what is going on at the Scared Fire site. We plan on having events at the site and local areas that will include all nations. Education is the biggest tool we have. We are also working together with the Shale Alert group to help get the word out about what is happening as far as SWN and what they are doing in our communities.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/188120831352862/

Shale Gas Alerts New Brunswick - is a clearing house for reports and/or photographs of water/air testing, surveying, and seismic testing. 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/112468105590081

Upriver Environment Watch - at this space in time, is to NOT WELCOME SHALE GAS MINING in our area. We call on the Governments of our Local Service District, the Province of New Brunswick and Canada to support our Human Rights to protect ourselves, our families and our natural environment by placing an immediate moratorium on unconventional shale gas mining in Kent County.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/UpRiver/

SAY NO TO SHALE GAS IN NEW BRUNSWICK - General discussion group
http://www.facebook.com/groups/130572530360081/

***If any event pages or groups have been missed, please email NoFrackinginNB@gmail.com to have this list updated!***

FURTHER RESOURCES AND NEWS UPDATES
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https://www.facebook.com/ccnbshalegas
https://www.facebook.com/Walk.to.Ban.Fracking
https://www.facebook.com/MonctonAntiFracking
https://www.facebook.com/NoShaleGasNB
https://www.facebook.com/OccupyNB
https://www.facebook.com/APTNNationalNews
https://www.facebook.com/NVURadio
https://noshalegasnb.ca/news/
https://on.fb.me/11K0Wr4

Support Grows!
======================
Support grows as Indigenous communities and allies stand up against fracking 
http://rabble.ca/news/2013/06/new-brunswick-support-grows-indigenous-communities-and-allies-stand-against-fracking
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Demonstrators demand Energy Minister Craig Leonard hold a meeting on shale gas
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/06/24/nb-shale-gas-meeting-petition.html
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"A group of concerned Haligonians are asking Irving Oil to remove support for fracking in New Brunswick."
http://www.news957.com/2013/06/24/early-morning-sidewalk-protest-against-fracking-in-n-b/
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"About a dozen members of the Council of Canadians stood in front of the constituency office of Energy Minister Craig Leonard today in Fredericton and left a 400-name petition seeking a town hall meeting in the city."
http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/fredericton-group-calls-for-public-meeting-to-discuss-shale-gas-exploration-1.1339208
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"Alarm bells continue to sound in the media about fracking -- from heated debates about its safety in Illinois, New York, and California to even the threat it poses to German beer."
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/making-waves/2013/06/protecting-right-to-water-means-banning-fracking
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The Council of Canadians Fredericton chapter joins highway protest against fracking trucks 
http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/brent-patterson/2013/06/fredericton-council-chapter-joins-highway-protest-against-fra
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Green Party backs non-violent anti-shale gas protests
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/06/07/nb-coon-shale-gas-protests-733.html
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Female Native is joined by over 100 Anti Shale Protesters in Kent County
http://youtu.be/4VkvsKtRPmc?t=2m19s
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Leader of the New Brunswick Liberal Association supports moratorium
http://youtu.be/nydEnG0zBCg
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Acadian Protesters at the Anti Shale Protest in Kent County 
http://youtu.be/t589a8ae_XE

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Previous Coverage and Media:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/132079906855023/files/
http://on.fb.me/137tQYo
http://on.fb.me/1aLNQ3b
http://bit.ly/11ZEsRM
http://bit.ly/11Zc7uD
http://bit.ly/1aLOptG
http://on.fb.me/1aOPIrT