KAMLOOPS, B.C. 鈥� Indigenous people voiced their anger and frustration with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday at a chaotic town hall in Kamloops, B.C., loudly interrupting him to condemn the arrests of protesters at a pipeline blockade.
While Trudeau was answering a question on accountability for the oil and gas industry, a man who identified himself as Will George stood up and began to yell that the prime minister had lied about wanting reconciliation with First Nations.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e getting people arrested,鈥� George said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e a liar and a weak leader. What do you tell your children?鈥�
Justin Trudeau (The Canadian Press)
Trudeau calmly asked George, several times, to sit down and allow him to finish answering the question. After several minutes, the man apologized and sat down, to applause from the crowd.
RCMP arrested 14 people Monday at a pipeline blockade in northwestern B.C., sparking protests across the country. Demonstrators on both sides of the pipeline debate appeared at Trudeau鈥檚 events in Kamloops on Wednesday.
Trudeau fielded a variety of questions at the town hall, but his fiery exchanges with Indigenous people dominated the event. When he called on a First Nations woman in the crowd, she asked him what he would do to stop oppressing her people.
鈥淲hen are you going to give us our rights back?鈥� she asked, to cheers and applause.
The prime minister replied that Canada has a 鈥渓ong and terrible history鈥� with regards to First Nations, but his government is working toward reconciliation and met with Indigenous leaders to discuss self-governance on Tuesday.
鈥淚t will take time to improve (the relationship), but we are making significant progress,鈥� he said.
鈥淵ou are afraid to lose everything you benefit from our oppression and our suffering. You are afraid to lose your comfort,鈥� the woman yelled.
鈥淣o, I鈥檓 not,鈥� Trudeau replied. 鈥淚 am ready to walk in partnership with you and building the future and that is what we鈥檝e been doing 鈥� I understand the anger and the passion that you have about protecting your land.鈥�
After a lengthy exchange in which the woman continued to press him on how he allowed the arrests to happen, Trudeau said it was possible the woman was 鈥渘ot listening鈥� to him and he tried to move on. Members of the crowd continued to occasionally yell, with one crying out, 鈥淪hame on you!鈥�
Later, a man who identified himself as Arnie Jack from the Shuswap Nation said Canada does not have a deed to its territory and has no right to build the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion through its lands.
Jack described the arrests in northern B.C. as a 鈥渘ational disgrace.鈥�
鈥淒o you have a deed to Shuswap territory? Have you brought one here tonight to impose your jurisdiction on us?鈥� Jack asked.
鈥淣o, I did not,鈥� Trudeau said, adding that having a 鈥渄eed鈥� is an old way of doing things and instead he wants to move forward in partnership with Indigenous Peoples.
Several audience members raised concerns about climate change, including a 65-year-old woman concerned about her grandson鈥檚 future. She said she had spoken with environmentalist David Suzuki, who was critical of the Liberal government鈥檚 handling of the climate.
鈥淭here is no question we鈥檙e in a time of difficult change,鈥� Trudeau replied, but he added that his government is moving forward with a price on carbon and there are tremendous causes for optimism, and that鈥檚 where he disagrees with Suzuki.
鈥淚鈥檓 just a little more optimistic than he is,鈥� Trudeau said.
Speaking to supporters at an earlier Kamloops event, Trudeau touted the benefits of the $40-billion liquefied natural gas project at the centre of the impasse with First Nations.
In a campaign-style speech at the Liberal fundraiser, Trudeau did not address Monday鈥檚 arrests at a protest against construction of a natural gas pipeline by Coastal GasLink, which is a key part of the LNG Canada project. He instead heralded the massive project as one of his government鈥檚 top achievements.
鈥淲e moved forward on the LNG Canada project, which is the largest private sector investment in Canada鈥檚 history, $40 billion, which is going to produce Canadian LNG that will supplant coal in Asia as a power source and do much for the environment,鈥� he said.
The RCMP enforced a B.C. Supreme Court injunction on Monday that ordered the removal of any obstructions to the pipeline project in and around the Morice River Bridge on a remote forest service road southwest of Houston.
The pipeline company says it has signed agreements with all First Nations along the route but demonstrators say Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n house chiefs, who are hereditary rather than elected, have not given their consent.
Trudeau also told Radio NL that 鈥渨e鈥檙e going to have to do a better job鈥� of dealing with First Nations rights and title.
鈥淭here鈥檚 still work to be done right across the country in terms of having the opportunity for Indigenous communities to strengthen their governance models,鈥� he said.
Dozens of protesters on both sides of the debate gathered outside the hotel where the fundraiser was held.
Demonstrators wearing yellow vests carried signs that read 鈥淐arbon Tax Cash Grab鈥� and 鈥淭rudeau for Treason鈥� while taking part in a chant opposing a United Nations pact on migration signed by Canada. Conservative critics argue it threatens Canada鈥檚 sovereignty.
Keith LaRiviere, who is Cree and participated in the yellow-vest protest, said he knows some of the people involved in the pipeline blockade.
He said he supports their right to protest but he believes those building the pipeline also have the right to do their work.
鈥淚 go to sweat lodges with some of those people so I really know them intimately, and I do support their cause. I do support their right to their land. I don鈥檛 support the aggressive way they were forced out of their position,鈥� said LaRiviere.
On the other side of the hotel parking lot, a group of Indigenous protesters opposed to the pipeline sang, drummed and held a banner reading 鈥淧M Trudeau: Canada needs climate action now.鈥�
