Pearl Watson discussing the dry canal with her neighbors (text of audio follows photo)

Narrator

Before the jobs materialize, though, Monkey Point may face a land rush. Already, says nurse Pearl Watson, strangers have appeared to claim ownership of local properties. Yet most Monkey Point families have never received a legal title to their homesteads. Here, Watson talks with other residents about the dry canal:

Pearl Watson

When the canal talk was coming out, we didn't hear nothing. Confusion. Three months and a half later, the administrator for the company came to negotiate with the community of Monkey Point. When we went in to the, how we go to the meeting like that, when we went in, how do we want to negotiate with he about canal and we no talk nothing, we don't know nothing?

Woman

Those are millionaires. You cannot fight them.

Pearl Watson

We can ... with what I have and I want begin to fight. We have to come like a bloc, one people. 'We want this, we want this for Monkey Point, we not selling nothing, and you are coming to make your canal and we want.'

So they have to find homes for the people and food. If you come in to make millions and billions off of my piece of land that I born onto, why is it that you can't give me some more comfortable. I no think not one of us from here going to be in behind a desk. Maybe our children, our grandchildren might be. But not one of you all.

They say they going to put 20,000 workers. But these people coming in here with this modern equipment, all these modern machines. You, you not going to get no use, not even the first one. That's why you have to demand your rights.

Narration and interviews by Peter Costantini