A group of Canadian natives has been blockading a Petro-Canada well in northeastern British Columbia since Monday to protest against a proposed 13-mile natural gas pipeline through traditional hunting grounds. About 100 protesters, led by members of the Halfway River First Nation, say they will prevent workers and equipment from entering a drilling camp until the Canadian government conducts an environmental impact study of the pipeline. The native tribes involved also say the B.C. government is ignoring a 1899 treaty that guarantees them the right to live off the land. A spokesperson said Petro-Canada was surprised by the blockade, because the company had rerouted portions of the pipeline after consulting with native groups in May.
