As protests across the country continue to plague construction of Coastal GasLink含羞草研究社檚 pipeline through Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈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.

含羞草研究社淭he protesters get one side of the story, and they want to stand up with their fists in the air,含羞草研究社� Robert Skin, an elected councillor for the Skin Tyee Nation, which is part of the Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈n Nation. 含羞草研究社淐ome and listen to us. Get both sides of the story before you go out and stop traffic and stop the rail line. All you含羞草研究社檙e doing is alienating people who are trying to put a roof over their children含羞草研究社檚 heads and food on their table.含羞草研究社�

Skin praised Coastal GasLink for its consultation with elders and leaders, saying the company went on numerous interpretive walks through the nation含羞草研究社檚 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 GasLink含羞草研究社檚 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 Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈n members who support the project have been drowned out by negative news coverage, fracturing communities down racial lines across the Northwest.

Wednesday含羞草研究社檚 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 nation含羞草研究社檚 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.

含羞草研究社淚nstead of saying 含羞草研究社榥o含羞草研究社� to everybody all the time, now we can say 含羞草研究社榶es, we have the money for housing. Yes, we have the money for education含羞草研究社�.含羞草研究社�

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.

含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 been a lot of bullying going on. And intimidation. Intimidation into silence,含羞草研究社� Simons said of what Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈n supporters of the pipeline have faced through social media and other means.

含羞草研究社淲hat we wanted was a place where people could speak without fear of a backlash.含羞草研究社�

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 含羞草研究社榶es含羞草研究社� and 含羞草研究社榥o含羞草研究社� positions on resource development. He volunteered his time for the North Matters event.

含羞草研究社淲hat I try to do is reach out for solutions for common values,含羞草研究社� said Simons.

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Marion Tiljoe Shepherd, who owns a trucking company in Houston and is a member of the Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈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.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 been really hard for us,含羞草研究社� she said to the audience. 含羞草研究社淚 love my family, and my mom misses her family含羞草研究社� but because we live here in Houston, we含羞草研究社檙e ostracized just because we want to work. We含羞草研究社檙e from an industrial town and we含羞草研究社檝e always worked for industry. There含羞草研究社檚 two sides to every story.含羞草研究社�

While a staunch supporter of the industry, Tiljoe Shepherd told the crowd mistakes were made on all sides, including Coastal GasLink含羞草研究社檚 ineffective consultation with hereditary chiefs, and the chiefs含羞草研究社� 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.

含羞草研究社淲ho do you think you are?含羞草研究社� she said of the protesters. 含羞草研究社淚 didn含羞草研究社檛 ask you for help. I can speak for myself.

含羞草研究社淢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.含羞草研究社�

- with files from Rod Link