Serge Otis Simon, Grand Chief of the Mowhawk Council of Kanesatake, is urging his people to stop the rail blockades. He does feel the only weapon they have is to assert their rights, but by stopping the blockade he points out that his people are not surrendering anything, rather it shows they are acting in good faith.

However, Chief Simon suggests that the concept isn’t being well received by everyone because someone padlocked his band office doors barring him from entry.

Meanwhile, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Perry Bellegarde says it is a wake up call that there needs to be full involvement of indigenous people in decision making by getting rights and title holders involved with the Crowns.

And as to whether the Prime Minister actually takes the lead in discussing the issue of a natural gas pipeline through First Nations land, he noted that it is not just one person but all ministers who need to be involved, as well as the Crown as it pertains to both federal and provincial levels of government. He points out as well that the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation, who are against the project, and started the blockades, need to step up and show a willingness to talk, in addition to the duly elected band members who are in favour of the pipeline.