{"id":141925,"date":"2023-02-23T08:51:59","date_gmt":"2023-02-23T13:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/?p=141925"},"modified":"2023-02-23T15:00:09","modified_gmt":"2023-02-23T20:00:09","slug":"its-about-time-we-asserted-our-rights-amalamgog-chief-on-migmaq-title-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/its-about-time-we-asserted-our-rights-amalamgog-chief-on-migmaq-title-claim\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s about time we asserted our rights\u2019: Amlamgog chief on Mi’gmaq title claim"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, eight Mi\u2019gmaq First Nations in New Brunswick jointly issued a statement asserting title over the land and waters of most of the province. Sackville and Dorchester neighbour Amlamgog (Fort Folly) is one of the nations joining in the title claim, led by Mi\u2019gmawe\u2019l Tplu\u2019taqnn (MTI), a non-profit organization representing New Brunswick\u2019s Mi\u2019gmaq nations.<\/p>\n

The nations are asking the provincial government to negotiate with them over the recognition and implementation of the title. Ideally, says Amlamgog Chief Rebecca Knockwood, \u201d[the province comes] to the table, they sit down with us, and they negotiate. And we start doing some resource revenue sharing with the province.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knockwood says the title assertion is a way of notifying the provincial government and the public that, \u201cthe lands and waters in New Brunswick that we and our ancestors have used, occupied, stewarded and cared for during thousands of years\u2014they belong to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

The map published by MTI shows their title assertion covers most of New Brunswick, except for a narrow portion along the western border and a larger area in the southwest. Despite the size of the claim, Knockwood says average New Brunswick property owners should not be worried.<\/p>\n

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MTI\u2019s title assertion map. Source: MTI.<\/p><\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not seeking to take people\u2019s homes and cottages away,\u201d says Knockwood. \u201cWe\u2019re seeking compensation from the government.\u201d MTI says the assertion of title is against the Crown, as well as \u201cindustrial freehold lands in which the Crown asserts an interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knockwood says the assertion of title follows from the Peace and Friendship Treaties signed over decades in the 1700s.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re here to assert that we never gave up title to these lands in New Brunswick. We never signed off, we never surrendered, we never ceded anything,\u201d says Knockwood.<\/p>\n

What about other claims?<\/h2>\n

There are two other title claims in the province already, and the three overlap in terms of territory, but Knockwood says they don\u2019t see the claims as competing.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack in the day we all worked together, we all took the same portage routes,\u201d says Knockwood, adding that discussions have already begun with the Wolastoqey, who filed their title claim in 2021, and with Elsipogtog, who filed their title claim back in 2016. \u201cWe\u2019ve enjoyed working collaboratively and having friendly relationships with other Mi\u2019gmaq communities and our Wabanaki nations on many issues,\u201d says Knockwood, \u201cand hope that this will be no different.\u201d<\/p>\n

MTI have asserted their title, but not filed claims in court. But Knockwood says court actions are not being ruled out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it comes down to it, and they\u2019re not willing to sit down and negotiate with us, the next step would be to take them to court,\u201d says Knockwood.<\/p>\n

In 2014, an unanimous Supreme Court ruling granted declaration of aboriginal title on more than 1,700 square kilometres in BC to the Tsilhqot\u2019in First Nation. Knockwood says that precedent bodes well for the position of First Nations in New Brunswick when it comes to asserting aboriginal title.<\/p>\n

\u201cI personally don\u2019t think the premier of New Brunswick has a leg to stand on when it comes to taking the First Nations to court,\u201d says Knockwood.<\/p>\n

Why now, and why in NB?<\/h2>\n

Mi\u2019gmaq territory spans New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and PEI, but New Brunswick is the first in the Maritimes to see aboriginal title asserted. Knockwood says relations between First Nations and other provincial governments have been more productive, which could account for the need to establish title in this province before others. The situation in New Brunswick is also more complex, because there are three different nations present: Mi\u2019gmaq, Wolastoqey, and Passamaquoddy.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe province of New Brunswick is a very hard province to deal with,\u201d says Knockwood. \u201dWe\u2019ve had enough. So we put out this land title assertion. Hopefully, we\u2019ll get somewhere now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knockwood says she doesn\u2019t predict radical changes around Amlamgog once title is recognized and implemented, but she says revenue from crown lands could help First Nations with programs and services for members, and it could alleviate dependency on federal funding.<\/p>\n

The assertion of title may also mean a stronger role for First Nations in stewardship of the province\u2019s land and water. \u201cThat\u2019s what we\u2019re hoping for,\u201d says Knockwood, adding that, \u201cwe\u2019re not here to stop economic growth within New Brunswick. We still want to work together with the province, knowing that First Nations still own the Crown property.\u201d<\/p>\n

Knockwood says the province is getting in the way of resource revenue sharing, while also claiming to be consulting First Nations.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t understand,\u201d says Knockwood, \u201cyou talk to Mr. Higgs, or you talk to Arlene Dunn, who is the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. They\u2019ll be telling you \u2018oh, yes, we\u2019re sitting down with First Nations and we\u2019re talking to them.\u2019 They haven\u2019t been at any tables I\u2019ve been at.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis has been an ongoing issue,\u201d says Knockwood. \u201cIt\u2019s about time we asserted our rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Province yet to respond<\/h2>\n

CHMA reached out to the province for comment on the title claims, and spokesperson David Kelly responded by email that the claim is still being reviewed, and will be addressed \u201cin due course.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kelly also wrote: \u201cAs a result of the Mi\u2019gmaq\u2019s position, there are First Nation claims against all land in New Brunswick. First Nations are claiming the entire Province of New Brunswick, including the majority of the Bay of Fundy and the Northumberland Strait.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hear Chief Rebecca Knockwood on CHMA's Tantramar Report:<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week, eight Mi\u2019gmaq First Nations in New Brunswick jointly issued a statement asserting title over the land and waters of most of the province. Sackville and Dorchester neighbour Amlamgog (Fort Folly) is one of the nations joining in the title claim, led by Mi\u2019gmawe\u2019l Tplu\u2019taqnn (MTI), a non-profit organization representing New Brunswick\u2019s Mi\u2019gmaq nations.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":141930,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[16830,225],"tags":[23717,9062,16724,23718,15932,412,4584,23719],"radio":[227],"origine":[274,275,277],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141925"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=141925"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":142067,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141925\/revisions\/142067"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/141930"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=141925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=141925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=141925"},{"taxonomy":"radio","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/radio?post=141925"},{"taxonomy":"origine","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/canada-info.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/origine?post=141925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}