NB Update #1: Wolastoqey Chiefs Dispute Govt Claims on Consultations, plus other news and information

Introducing the NB Update, a roundup of news from the NB Media Co-op. In this episode, we look at the relationship between the government of Premier Blaine Higgs and First Nations in New Brunswick.

The six chiefs of Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick said in an Oct. 6 statement that those relationships have deteriorated as the province has "centralized all interactions" through the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, particularly "a group that takes its lead from expensive external lawyers and Higgs himself."

The chiefs also took issue with recent comments by Environment Minister Gary Crossman.

At a legislative committee meeting last month, Crossman said he believed First Nations chiefs met with the Premier on a weekly basis, but Indigenous leaders say that isn't the case.

"The government's own Environment Minister, a man responsible for several files that directly affect our Nation, hasn't been properly briefed by this new centralized system," the chiefs said.

Meanwhile, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Arlene Dunn issued a 1,300-word statement defending the provincial government's approach.

She said her department’s mandate has grown as it pursues what she calls a meaningful “nation-to-nation relationship with each First Nation.”

That statement outlined a series of initiatives that she said resulted in “significant investment” and enlarged the Department of Aboriginal Affairs.

"Reconciliation is an ongoing process," she said. "We have made considerable progress in this regard and are dedicated to continuing this important work."

Dunn cited improvements in consultations with First Nations, but the chiefs disputed those claims.

"We are not being consulted with — a constitutional requirement and legally protected right," they said. "Instead, we are expected to be thankful for getting talked at by bureaucrats whose sole mandate is to check a box, tally the interaction and ensure those hard numbers get reported up the chain."

Check out the NB Update for more details, along with a selection of news and information from our team of contributors.

The NB Update is a collaboration between the NB Media Co-op and CHCO TV.

David Gordon Koch is a journalist with the NB Media Co-op. This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, administered by the Canadian Association of Community Television Stations and Users (CACTUS).