Katie K. MacLeod, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University
Abstract
In October 2013, there was nationwide attention on Highway 134 in New Brunswick. Protestors blockaded the highway in opposition to shale gas exploration by SWN Resources. This article examines this protest through the social justice frames of Indigenous rights, historic relations, and environmental rights and Mi’kmaq, Acadians, and environmentalists as the key social actors. I explore how social actors were able create and mobilize resources within various frames in order to form a unified protest and collective agenda. I argue that through the mobilization of these resources, protesters were able to create a firm stance in opposition to shale gas exploration in New Brunswick.