Cheam Chief Ernie Crey of Chilliwack has been actively touting the benefits of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion, not only for his own people of the Pilalt tribe, but for other Indigenous communities struggling to rise out of poverty.

sa国际传媒淚f the project doesnsa国际传媒檛 go through, itsa国际传媒檒l hurt our people,sa国际传媒� Crey said.

The Cheam leader was in Ottawa Monday preparing to appear this week before on a parliamentary committee considering changes to the National Energy Board and other regulatory bodies under bill C-69.

Crey has been active on social media and in the mainstream media trying to disabuse everyone of the notion that First Nations are united in lockstep opposition to the pipeline expansion.

Itsa国际传媒檚 not so black and white, he has argued, and there is no homogeneity on the pipeline issue, despite how it is being portrayed by some.

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A provincial leader came out publicly against the pipeline but that opposition didnsa国际传媒檛 take into account those communities who favour exploring the benefits of the expansion project, the local chief said.

Former Soowahlie chief and pipeline opponent Larry Commodore took issue with Chief Creysa国际传媒檚 media blitz showing support for the project.

sa国际传媒淓rnie should spend some time talking with the overwhelming majority of Indigenous elders and hereditary and elected leaders across Turtle Island who have voiced their opposition to tarsands expansion, which the KM pipeline expansion would be a key part of.

sa国际传媒淗e would learn they are more than just a bunch of uninformed dupes, as he seems to think.sa国际传媒�

Crey used the term sa国际传媒渞ed-washingsa国际传媒� to describe the view that green groups are co-opting First Nations to further their agendas sa国际传媒渦nder an Indigenous flag.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭rust me, their goals and aspirations are far different from ours,sa国际传媒� Crey tweeted last week. sa国际传媒淐heck out where theysa国际传媒檝e trashed Indigenous economies to meet their ends.sa国际传媒�

As co-chair of the Indigenous Advisory & Monitoring Committee, a committee to undertake the monitoring of the pipeline during and after construction, as well as chief of Cheam First Nation, which has signed mutual benefit agreements with Kinder Morgan, Crey has a decidedly different view than pipeline opponents.

sa国际传媒淭he perpetrators of urban myths and wishful thinking around the Kinder Morgan (TMX) expansion are getting called out big time today,sa国际传媒� he wrote. sa国际传媒淭he media in both B.C. and Alberta have discovered that there isnsa国际传媒檛 wall to wall opposition to KMsa国际传媒檚 expansion among B.C. and Alberta First Nations.sa国际传媒�

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There are 43 Indigenous communities who have signed mutual benefit agreements, or MBAs, with Kinder Morgan, and who may want to sa国际传媒渂uy intosa国际传媒� the project, Crey underlined.

For example it took years for Cheam officials to negotiate security jobs for Cheam members to work the pipeline route.

The chief sees the economic relationships being built as a way for some communities to step up sa国际传媒渙ut of povertysa国际传媒� if they get the sa国际传媒渞ightsa国际传媒� backing. They would consider putting some money toward the pipeline twinning construction, as in equity for the project, if they were to have a lengthy discussion about it.

sa国际传媒淭his pipeline, which is very important to me, fits into the realm of economic reconciliation,sa国际传媒� Crey said. sa国际传媒淚t might become the bootstrap from which First Nations pull themselves out of crushing poverty.sa国际传媒�

Chief Crey wondered in a tweet if sa国际传媒渙il by railsa国际传媒� isnsa国际传媒檛 more dangerous.

sa国际传媒淎 derailment of tanker cars in the Fraser Canyon would mean the oil would end-up in the salt chuck. Best choice, pipe or rail?sa国际传媒� he asked rhetorically.

When he commented in 2016 for a TMX panel however, he was more worried about the impact of a pipeline spill on the Coquihalla.

sa国际传媒淚 sit up nights wondering what a spill into the Coquihalla River might look like.

sa国际传媒淓ven a small spill into the Coquihalla would devastate salmon in the Fraser River and plunge First Nations into utter destitution. Global trade, investment, jobs: I know those are important, but consider what could be lost.sa国际传媒�

jfeinberg@theprogress.com
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