As protests across the country continue to plague construction of Coastal GasLinksa国际传媒檚 pipeline through Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n territory, about 200 supporters of the project gathered in Houston Wednesday afternoon to hear from Indigenous leaders eager to see the pipeline completed.

The event, which hosted five speakers, was organized by The North Matters, a natural resource industry lobby group.

sa国际传媒淭he protesters get one side of the story, and they want to stand up with their fists in the air,sa国际传媒� Robert Skin, an elected councillor for the Skin Tyee Nation, which is part of the Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n Nation. sa国际传媒淐ome and listen to us. Get both sides of the story before you go out and stop traffic and stop the rail line. All yousa国际传媒檙e doing is alienating people who are trying to put a roof over their childrensa国际传媒檚 heads and food on their table.sa国际传媒�

Skin praised Coastal GasLink for its consultation with elders and leaders, saying the company went on numerous interpretive walks through the nationsa国际传媒檚 traditional territory to map out the best possible route for the pipeline. The 670-kilometre pipeline would carry natural gas to a planned LNG Canada export facility in Kitimat.

Nationwide protests and blockades of rail lines followed a move by RCMP to enforce a court injunction earlier this month against the hereditary chiefs and their supporters, who had been obstructing an access road to Coastal GasLinksa国际传媒檚 work site.

Four of the five hereditary chiefs flew to Ontario Wednesday to thank Mohawk supporters blocking key rail lines.

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Steve Simons, a spokesperson for The North Matters, said his group organized the Houston event because national attention has focused largely on opposition to the pipeline, while the voices of many Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n members who support the project have been drowned out by negative news coverage, fracturing communities down racial lines across the Northwest.

Wednesdaysa国际传媒檚 gathering was billed as an event to bring the community together by allowing Indigenous members in support of the project the chance to share their perspectives in a safe environment, free from intimidation and fear of harm.

Skin commended Coastal GasLink for its ecological and cultural sensitivity and said his nationsa国际传媒檚 benefit agreement with the company is key to the prosperity of future generations. Some of the money has already been used for professional training among members, and Skin said more has been earmarked to help alleviate a housing crisis and allow more members to move back to their community.

sa国际传媒淚nstead of saying sa国际传媒榥osa国际传媒� to everybody all the time, now we can say sa国际传媒榶es, we have the money for housing. Yes, we have the money for educationsa国际传媒�.sa国际传媒�

The North Matters organized the session over the long weekend, to which Simons said he was pleased at the number of people who came out, particularly because it took place in the afternoon.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 been a lot of bullying going on. And intimidation. Intimidation into silence,sa国际传媒� Simons said of what Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n supporters of the pipeline have faced through social media and other means.

sa国际传媒淲hat we wanted was a place where people could speak without fear of a backlash.sa国际传媒�

Simons, a mostly-retired Victoria resident and who offers courses and speaks on natural resource issues, Simons said he concentrates on trying to deescalate hard line sa国际传媒榶essa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒榥osa国际传媒� positions on resource development. He volunteered his time for the North Matters event.

sa国际传媒淲hat I try to do is reach out for solutions for common values,sa国际传媒� said Simons.

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Marion Tiljoe Shepherd, who owns a trucking company in Houston and is a member of the Wetsa国际传媒檚uwetsa国际传媒檈n Gilseyhu (Big Frog) clan, echoed those calls for solutions.

Her mother is a shareholder of a trap line near the pipeline route where police have twice raided protest camps.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 been really hard for us,sa国际传媒� she said to the audience. sa国际传媒淚 love my family, and my mom misses her familysa国际传媒� but because we live here in Houston, wesa国际传媒檙e ostracized just because we want to work. Wesa国际传媒檙e from an industrial town and wesa国际传媒檝e always worked for industry. Theresa国际传媒檚 two sides to every story.sa国际传媒�

While a staunch supporter of the industry, Tiljoe Shepherd told the crowd mistakes were made on all sides, including Coastal GasLinksa国际传媒檚 ineffective consultation with hereditary chiefs, and the chiefssa国际传媒� failure to consult with their members. But she also lays a lot of blame on the protesters who mobilized around the hereditary chiefs without access to other points of view.

sa国际传媒淲ho do you think you are?sa国际传媒� she said of the protesters. sa国际传媒淚 didnsa国际传媒檛 ask you for help. I can speak for myself.

sa国际传媒淢y choice is my choice. My husband and I have a job. We want to work for Coastal GasLink; we want to work for the industry, and we have every right to.sa国际传媒�

- with files from Rod Link