First Nation breaks ranks: ‘I have to look out for my people’

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A small First Nation and New Brunswick’s Progressive Conservative government have signed a special deal in the wake of a cancelled tax agreement that’s caused fury among many Indigenous leaders.

Chief Ken Barlow of L’nui Menikuk (Indian Island First Nation) told Brunswick News in an interview Friday the $4.7-million development agreement would support his small community’s priorities over the next five years, such as housing, safe drinking water, road resurfacing, and the design of a new gym.

He said while he respected the other Indigenous chiefs in New Brunswick and their fight over the cancellation of their tax deals, he had to do what was right for his First Nation, a one-hour drive north of Moncton along the coast.

“I’ve never wanted to take anything away from First Nations that have been successful,” Barlow said. “This was a great opportunity for us to negotiate with the province and try to get things that would help us. That being said, I fully support the other chiefs and the direction they are taking. Some are going to take it to court, and we’ll have to wait and see what happens. But for Indian Island, I have to look out for my people and go in the direction that will help them.”

Premier Blaine Higgs triggered anger among Indigenous leaders last year when he said his Tory government would unilaterally end tax agreements between the province and First Nations.

The old tax agreements, many extending back 30 years, allowed First Nations to recoup the majority of sales taxes from retail stores on their federal reserve land. They gave those communities autonomy over how to spend the money. Between the 15 First Nations, the agreements were worth about $47 million annually.

Higgs argued the benefits from the agreements were uneven, with some First Nations getting much more money than others received. Instead, he said he wanted the First Nations to ask for funding to meet their communities’ individual needs.

Several chiefs described the premier’s approach as patronizing and condescending.

But a chink appeared in June, when Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation) broke ranks and signed a $22-million development agreement with the province to improve housing and roads in the community of 2,000 people in northwestern New Brunswick.

Under the latest agreement, the province’s Regional Development Corporation will provide $4.72 million to Indian Island First Nation over five years.

The community, with support from federal funding, will contribute $1.48 million over the same period, for a total investment of $6.2 million.

Indian Island never had a tax agreement, Chief Barlow said.

This was a great opportunity for us to negotiate with the province and try to get things that would help us. That being said, I fully support the other chiefs and the direction they are taking.

Chief Ken Barlow

Nor did it have federal reserve land near the cities of Miramichi or Moncton that could have made a tax agreement as lucrative as it has been for other First Nations, such as Madawaska, where a thriving casino, restaurants and stores directly beside Edmundston and the TransCanada Highway have pulled in millions of dollars for the community in northwest New Brunswick.

“At the end of the tax agreement with the other Mi’kmaq communities, we tried to sign on, just to sign on, but at that point the Higgs government had shut the door,” Barlow explained. “I had no intention of turning my backs on the other chiefs. I fully support them and the direction they want to take.”

The funding will help the community build 12 new houses, repave the crumbling roads on the island, and put in filters for community members’ private wells that are often inundated with salt water. It will also help Indian Island get started on a bigger, better gym that will include space for a weight room and boxing, a very popular sport in Mi’kmaq communities. The existing gym, attached to the band office, gets very crowded, the chief said.

Among the 210 members of the First Nation, both on-and-off reserve, nearly half of them are children, and it is one of the fastest growing communities in New Brunswick.

The rapid population growth has created a housing shortage, with only about 70 homes on the reserve.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Arlene Dunn declined an interview request.

“The agreement signed today with Indian Island First Nation is a wonderful example of what can happen when two sides commit to collaboration,” she said in a prepared statement to Brunswick News on Friday. “I want to commend Chief Ken Barlow and his council for taking this important step to provide long-term financial sustainability for this community and helping us work toward our goal of building a better New Brunswick by ensuring all First Nations can prosper.”

Dunn said that providing such financial sustainability to First Nations was a top priority and that the agreements with Tobique and Indian Island demonstrated the Tory government’s “commitment to working with First Nations to address their priorities.”

Although the agreement is for five years, both Barlow and the province said the two sides had committed to continuing discussions over other priorities identified by the community.

“You can move at your own pace in this agreement,” the chief said. “For instance, it’s 12 houses over five years. But Minister Dunn said, ‘if you have the capacity to build 12 houses in one year, go for it.’ So we won’t stop.”