Land claim won't displace people, says Augustine

Feb. 18, 2009

Nobody will be displaced by a land claim dispute near Red Bank, says Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq First Nation Chief Noah Augustine.

Augustine has been meeting with officials from the federal government to negotiate a land dispute 114-years-old.

A lot of people don't know they are on the disputed lands the negotiators are discussing during their talks, he said.

"Any of these people who are on these lands don't have anything to worry about because they won't be displaced."

There are more than 3,000 acres of land in dispute near Indian Point, Big Hole Tract and Little Southwest Miramichi dating back to 1895 when the land was taken form the Metepenagiag Mi'kmaq First Nation.

Augustine said in the past people have been displaced by land claims settlements, like in 1994 when they settled a previous dispute.

"Back then, if there was a third party on a property the government went and bought them out."

Under the current policy, the government compensates First Nations the value of the land at the time it was taken plus the value of any improvements since.

In a similar claim, the Metepenagiag First Nation received $1.35 million for 164 acres of land and Augustine said the land involved in the current claim is more valuable.

"I can't speculate what the settlement will be at the end of the day."

Augustine said the First Nations don't receive enough funding for things like housing and have to start making their own money.

"In this day and age a band has to start looking at generating its own revenues."

To that end, the Metepenagiag First Nation plans to buy land around bigger municipalities and will collect 95 per cent of the PST from businesses on that land, he said.

"That's our whole foundation of our economic plan for Metepenagiag."

Augustine said the new land will become part of the reserve with a board - set up separate from the chief and council - in charge of the funds to make them more accountable.

"I don't feel comfortable with thousands coming in without accountability."

Augustine said they plan on buying land around Moncton and the Miramichi and will partner with the cities to share revenues.

"We're not being greedy. We don't want it all."

They have already been in talks with Moncton, Dieppe and Shediac about possible land purchases in those areas, he said.

"There's always a win, win, win situation."

Augustine said it will take at least a year and a half to settle the land claim and getting any purchased land designated as additional reserve land will take about three years.

Indian and Northern Affairs spokesperson Patricia Valladao said the size of a potential settlement hasn't been determined yet.

"That has to be determined by the negotiations between the parties."

The government entered into negotiations with the first nation as an alternative to litigation, she said.

"Negotiations allow the parties to arrive at a mutually satisfactory settlement while strengthening the relationship."