For immediate release
WOLASTOQEY HOMELAND, May 28, 2026 – Despite the Supreme Court of Canada not granting leave to appeal the ongoing title claim of the six Wolastoqey communities, the Wolastoqey Chiefs remain resolute in their pursuit of title.
“The fight for our homeland will continue,” said Chief Patricia Bernard of Madawaska.
The Wolastoqey Nation’s title claim was filed in 2021 by the six Wolastoqey communities in New Brunswick: Matawaskiye (Madawaska), Wotstak (Woodstock), Neqotkuk (Tobique), Bilijk (Kingsclear), Sitansisk (St. Mary’s), and Welamuktok (Oromocto) seeking legal recognition of Aboriginal title to the traditional, ancestral homelands of the Wolastoqey.
“Our ancestors never surrendered our lands and waters. The Peace and Friendship Treaties signed with the British Crown in the 1700s were treaties of peace and alliance – not land surrender or cession. Our title has not been extinguished,” said Chief Bernard. “Being denied leave does not mean that the Supreme Court of Canada agrees with the New Brunswick Court of Appeal decision.”
A 2024 lower court ruling confirmed that Aboriginal title could exist on privately held land, deciding that it would be the responsibility of the Crown to return some private land by negotiated agreements or, if negotiations fail, court orders. The New Brunswick Court of Appeal overturned this decision, stating that declarations of Aboriginal title can only be issued in relation to Crown land, limiting remedies on private industrial land to financial compensation or damages from the Crown.
“Canadians expect that the Supreme Court will eventually need to clarify the law on whether Aboriginal title can be recognized in relation to privately held lands,” said Bernard. “Until this clarification, the Wolastoqey Nation must be consulted on all Crown decisions impacting lands and waters within its territory. We will continue to advance our claim, assert our rights and title, and pursue all available paths open to us. We will announce our plans for the next steps of our claim when information is ready to share.”
For media inquiries:
media@wolastoqey.ca