Peskotomuhkati chief, 79, battles a ticking clock in fight for formal recognition

The Peskotomuhkati First Nation, also known as the Passamaquoddy, has sought recognition from the Canadian government for decades but has yet to see any firm action taken.

However, recent talks with the new provincial government in New Brunswick are giving hope to Chief Hugh Akagi. 

The Peskotomuhkati, whose traditional territory includes the St. Croix River and Passamaquoddy Bay watershed,have two communities in Maine and one in New Brunswick, in the southwest. They live in both Canada and the United States, but are only officially recognized in the U.S.

Akagi said this is because of the "inconvenience" their existence creates for national boundaries, and a decades-long oversight on the Canadian side of the border.

"It's a little bit of magic, that we can be legislated out of existence," he said.

"Is it something that somebody forgot to make happen or was there a convenience or an inconvenience because we were seen as a border tribe. Border tribes are seen as problems.

"I don't think it was an accident when they said, 'Oh, the Passamaquoddy no longer exists because there are no Passamaquoddy registered in Canada.' So, Canada left us off the books and, as a result, we cease to exist."

In 2019, the Peskotimuhkati signed a formal agreement with the federal and provincial governments to begin the process of official recognition in Canada. However, no recognition has yet occurred. 

"There are numerous reasons. We can call them excuses, we can call them legitimate, but a lot of it has to do with the government," Akagi said. When initially proposed, the government's commitments were very significant.

However, as talks went on, he said, they were "watered down."

CBC reached out to both the provincial and federal governments about the issue. Each issued brief statements. 

"We continue to participate in bilateral and tripartite negotiations while the matter of recognition is negotiated between the federal government and the Peskotomuhkati," Keith Chiasson, New Brunswick's minister of Indigenous affairs, said in a statement.

Eric Head, a spokesperson for Indigenous Services Canada, said discussions with Peskotomuhkati First Nation on "potential formal recognition as a band under the Indian Act are ongoing." He described the discussions as confidential, and said it "would be inappropriate to provide further details" to the public. 

"More information, including next steps, will be shared directly with the community when it is available."