LETHBRIDGE, Alta. - Three women from the Kainai (Blood Tribe) who were arrested September of 2010 after a convoy of Murphy Oil trucks were blocked on the Blood Reserve were back in a Cardston court on Wednesday.
Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Jill Crop Eared Wolf and Lois Frank made their third court appearance on charges of intimidation and violation.
The accused say they feel betrayed by their chief and council after council members leased half of the Blood Tribe land to Murphy Oil for a controversial practice called hydraulic fracking.
It's a five-year lease which allows Murphy Oil and Bowood Energy access to approximately 50 per cent of Blood Tribe land - roughly 129,000 acres - for oil and gas exploration.
The deal will net the Blood Tribe at least $50 million if future revenue, but protesters say the fracking process presents a serious health concern.
Some residents of of the Blood Reserve say they have detected a strong gas smell in the air causing headaches and vomiting.
Connie Crop Eared Wolf, who is the mother of one of those facing charges, says "it's brave of my daughter to take this stance. She has gotten a lot of support. She also has gotten a lot of criticism."
The protesters are now hoping the government will respect the legal rights of First Nations people and protect them in court. Lois Frank wants to represent herself because she is challenging the constitution of the charges.
The three women are due back in a Cardston courtroom on January 23rd.
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