Aboriginal Rights

Aboriginal rights are the basis for the trust relationship between Wabanaki People and the federal government.  Wabanaki People inherited these rights because their families were living here before Europeans laid claim to the land.  They did not lose their rights to the land or to hunt and fish just because European colonists established governments here.  Many of the rights that they did not give up in treaties or agreements still exist and are acknowledged by the United States and Canada.  Some treaties upheld by court decisions affirm such rights such as hunting and fishing and crossing the United States-Canadian border freely.