New Brunswick Indigenous group says Tory position on treaty rights troublesome – New Brunswick [Video]

The six chiefs of the Wolastoqey Nation in New Brunswick have released results from a pre-election questionnaire sent to the province’s political parties, saying they are “particularly disappointed” with responses from the governing Progressive Conservatives.

The Indigenous group, which represents six communities, says that in August the parties were sent questions on Indigenous treaty rights, titles, policing and systemic racism.

“We find the Progressive Conservative party position on Wolastoqey treaty rights deeply troublesome and offensive,” the chiefs said in a statement released Monday.

“The Progressive Conservative party response notes that they ‘respectfully disagree … that land title has been unceded’ and repeats their disinformation narrative about private landholders.”

The reference to unceded territory refers to the fact that these First Nations never relinquished or legally signed away their lands to the Crown or to Canada.

The chiefs’ statement also accuses the Tories of fearmongering.

“We are looking for a government that wants to build a forward-looking relationship with First …