'Frack'turing Canadian settler narratives: the Elsipogtog shale gas protests and indigenous women's resistance

Stuart, Alyse (2017) 'Frack'turing Canadian settler narratives: the Elsipogtog shale gas protests and indigenous women's resistance. Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

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Abstract

On October 17, 2013, a group of Mi’kmaq people from Elsipogtog, New Brunswick garnered national attention for defending their land against shale gas development. The focal point of the event was the Elsipogtog First Nation’s clash with the RCMP, which resulted in the arrest of 40 so-called protestors. By interspersing footage of the protest with images of burning police cars, rifles, and staunchly held blockades, the media portrayed the protestors’ actions as radical and violent. Amidst the flurry of mainstream media coverage, the people of Elsipogtog were active in challenging the misrepresentations of their actions and their communities; among them the women of the community were especially vocal and instrumental in continuing the resistance against shale gas. However, despite the active involvement of women from Elsipogtog in the protest, they largely disappeared from the mainstream media. This thesis explores how Indigenous women confront erasure and unsettle the dense mythological terrain of Canadian national narratives.

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