1859 - Purchase of designated Mi’kmaq lands made legal through new legislation

In 1859, the Nova Scotian government passed an Act that allowed previously unauthorized settlers to buy the ungranted or reserved lands on which they had been squatting. This overrode protections on lands that had previously been traditionally or formally recognized as Mi’kmaq territory, creating a legal process for non-Indigenous settlers to claim the land as private property.

“Mikmaw Resource Guide.” Accessed September 22, 2026. https://www.mikmaweydebert.ca