New Brunswick Government Aims To Claim New Nations Title Wolastoqey – New Brunswick | The Canadian News

The New Brunswick government has responded to a new title claim filed by Wolastoqey Nations of New Brunswick, calling it unclear.

Prime Minister Blaine Higgs, flanked by Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn and Minister of Natural Resources and Energy Mike Holland, spoke about reclaiming the title.

“It is a precedent for all of Canada,” he said Wednesday. “Never before has a claim of this nature attempted to take control of privately owned land. It continues to lack the clarity that New Brunswick residents deserve.

“While this is a matter before the courts, I cannot stand aside as prime minister, as the majority of New Brunswick residents do not know about it.”

This comes after the Wolastoqey Nations of New Brunswick added several new defendants to the lawsuit filed Tuesday.

Names companies that operate approximately 20 percent of the more than 50,000 square kilometers identified in the claim as Wolastoqey Traditional Lands in New Brunswick.

The new defendants include JD Irving Ltd. and 18 of its subsidiaries or related entities, NB Power, Acadian Timber, Twin Rivers Paper, HJ Crabbe & Sons and AV Group. The companies are named in addition to the governments of New Brunswick and Canada.

Madawaska Maliseet First Nation Chief Patricia Bernard and Pilick Chief Gabriel Atwin made it clear that this is not a title claim to revoke the land of an average person, owner, or business.

“Let me speak directly to regular New Brunswick residents: The Wolastoqey Nation has never had an interest in evicting regular New Brunswickers from their homes or farms; we know that you or your ancestors paid the value of your land,” it said in a press release. on Tuesday.

The province doubles the impact on the forest industry

One of the main concerns raised Wednesday was the impact on the forestry industry.

Minister Mike Holland said the latest statement is concerning.

“Forestry is the backbone of the economy of this province, especially in rural New Brunswick,” he told a virtual press conference. “The bosses propose that they become owners of private land that is currently used by the industry. This would have far-reaching and very serious implications. “

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Holland said the forestry industry in New Brunswick employs more than 22,000 people and deals with 60 countries. It has around 600 businesses in the industry, with more than 2,500 linked through the supply chain.

He said what the Wolastoqey nations are looking for from NB Power is not “clear.”

“It is not clear if they are looking for the buildings, the terrain surrounding the buildings or the space where transmission lines intersect, which can be any home, river or airspace in the province,” he said.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn spoke about the current relationship between the government and the 16 First Nations communities within the province, saying that for some there are none.

“Our government wants a New Brunswick where all First Nations thrive,” he said at a virtual press conference.

However, when asked about the tense relationship between the government and the Wolastoqey nations, he said the relations take two sides.

Wolastoqey nations react

Chief Patricia Bernard addressed the media shortly after the government press conference and said she was not surprised by the comments made.

“That scaremongering continues for the citizens of New Brunswick,” he said. “We have no choice. We are cornered. Nothing is respected, nothing is respected.”

He said the government appears to be confused by the claim. Bernard said this is not a land claim, it is a title claim.

“I don’t understand why he kept talking about it,” he said at a virtual press conference. “What seems clear is that they need to inform themselves what the difference is between a land claim because this is not a land claim, this is a declaration of Aboriginal title.”

Bernard clarified that this is not a claim for the traditional territory but for the lands that belong to these corporations that now make a profit with the resources they extract.

As for the relationship with the government, Bernard said it does not exist.

“The Wolastoqey nation as a whole, there are none and that did not seem very appropriate to us,” he said.

Bernard said there is no intention of bankrupting the province, and said doing so would be like shooting themselves in the foot.

“We want to work with the province. We want to work with industries to protect the earth in the future, ”he said. “

In the end, he said that the treaties are not being honored and that there was no other option.

“We are trying to do the right thing,” he said.