A man from Manitoba’s Swan Lake First Nation is one of the first 60 Indigenous people from Western Canada to complete a three-week pipeline monitoring program at SAIT Polytechnic in Calgary.
Gerald Scott’s perspective has shifted since he spent 10 days on the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota protesting against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
He went there to take a stand against what he saw as trampling of Indigenous rights but is now focusing his fight on making pipelines safer.
The pilot project looks at inspection techniques, pipeline operations and safety — all through an Indigenous lens.
With the classroom portion complete, trainees will embark on either a research project with an industry mentor or a work
placement.
Scott says he can now better represent his First Nation’s interests in talks with his employer, Calgary-based pipeline giant Enbridge.
The company’s Line 3 project crosses Swan Lake land, and Scott says knowing what specific inspections and maintenance work to demand could be helpful.
Scott says he’s a warrior by nature and by heart. After taking the course he says he’s still a warrior, but he just wants the best deal for his people.