Kahnawake Mohawks camp out in support of Standing Rock protesters

A small group ofKahnawakeMohawks has set up a camp at the base of the Mercier Bridge in support of pipeline protesters in Standing Rock, N.D.

After briefly blocking the bridge over the weekend, a few peoplesat around a bonfire by the road this morning, with a promise of further action to come.

Blair Dearhouse, who has been at the location for the past three days, said the goal is to bring attention to the pipeline protest in North Dakotain a peaceful way.

"We're here to protect the planet and raise awareness of what's going on,"he said.

A teepeehas beenput upat the sitealongside a sign that reads "water is our first medicine."

For months, Indigenous groups have beenprotesting theDakota Access pipeline near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation in North Dakota.

Thousands of people have come to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe reservation since a group of young people from the community first stood up against the pipeline this past summer.

There have been over 200 arrests in confrontations with police, which have escalated in recent weeks.

• Police raid on anti-pipeline camp draws condemnation from Indigenous groups

On Sunday, Grand Chief Joseph Tokwiro Norton saidthe band council fully supports the demonstrations near the Mercier Bridge.

He saidtwo chiefs from Kahnawake were part of a delegation that took supplies to Standing Rock this fall.

"I always look back to 1990, the so-called Oka Crisis, when people from all over North America came here and did what they could to help support us," Norton said.

"So it's our turn now to show our reciprocation for things like that."

KahnawakePeacekeepers have been instructed to support the protesters, Norton said.