The First Nation people had become dependent upon European goods through their long association with the French and they became frustrated in dealing with New Englanders and depending upon them for supplies.  In 1765, a number of First Nation people raided and looted the company of the White and Hazen store at Portland Point killing Richard Simonds, younger brother of the owner of the store.

The Nova Scotia government reserved 500 acres at Aucpac (Aukpaque) for First Nation occupation (Ganong Origins of Settlements in New Brunswick IN Royal Society of Canada). 

On the south side of the Saint John River at Fredericton, there is an ancient burial ground near where the lieutenant governor's residence now stands.  In 1765, the Nova Scotia government granted four acres of land to the local Maliseet near the present location of Government House.

In August, Fort Frederick at Portland Point, located at the mouth of the Saint John River, was attacked and burned by American privateers.  The privateers continued up the Saint John River forcing the settlers to sign a declaration of allegiance to the American congress.  Settlers and merchants, Simonds, White and Hazen refused to pledge allegiance to the rebels and were under constant threat of attacks by the Americans and their First Nation allies.

Along the Miramichi River, the situation between the Mi'gmaq and settlers had been deteriorating since 1765 when Scottish merchants had obtained a grant of a large tract of land and had netted salmon in the river.  Mi'gmaq protests against the fishing and lumbering activities sent to Halifax went unheeded.  In 1775, a number of angry Mi'gmaq supporting the Americans burned down buildings, stole cattle, and plundered John Cort's storehouse. 

Raids by American privateers and French and First Nation allies resulted in the looting and burning of William Davidson's operations on the Miramichi River and he was forced to abandon the area and flee to the safety of the settlement at Maugerville on the Saint John River.

First Nation leaders claim that British lumbermen, cutting masts for the British Navy on the upper Saint John River, were trespassing on their territory.  The "Indian Agent" wrote to the head chief of the Maliseet living on the Saint John River and sent him presents of blankets, clothing, powder, shot, rings and ribbons and promised to protect the interests of the First Nation people in exchange for their acceptance of the woodsmen. These acts apparently satisfied the Maliseet and there was no further difficulty for a number of years.

To defend against future American attacks and to assure peace among the First Nations and New Englanders, British officials strengthened their military position by stationing a garrison at the mouth of the Oromocto River.  The Maliseet who had joined in attacking the settlers were either pacified or forced to flee to Maine with their rebel allies.  The presence of a British military and naval force in the area restored stability and peace. 

British colonial officials made a few land grants to the First Nation people.  At Aukpaque, Maliseet's received a land grant of 704 acres including Indian Island, and 4 acres at St. Anne.  At Indiantown, a trading house was built to facilitate the exchange of furs for European goods.  This was an ancient First Nation site and the start of the portage around the Reversing Falls. 

British authorities sent a warship to the Miramichi River in 1779.  They captured a number of Mi'gmaq warriors and forced the chief to flee.  Peace was forcefully restored.  The English naval officer sent to quell the disturbance appointed John Julian as chief of the Mi'gmaq on the Miramichi.  Halifax officials forced the Mi'gmaq to sign an agreement promising to stop attacking settlers and destroying their property, and to have nothing to do with the Americans.  In exchange, the Mi'gmaq were promised grants of land and in 1783 the Halifax government gave them a licence to occupy a large tract of 20,000 acres.  After the restoration of peace, William Davidson returned to the Miramichi River and re-established his farming, fishing, lumbering and trading operations.

Big Hole Tract and the south half of the Renous established.

A licence of First Nation occupation was issued on August 13 for a designated land parcel at Red Bank at the mouth of the Little South West Miramichi.  This land parcel, containing 1`0,000 acres, was located on both sides of the Little South West Miramichi at its confluence with the North West Miramichi.  A large portion of the land was located to the southward and a smaller portion to the northward.  A road divided the southern part and created farms with fronts on the road and the river. 

As the American Revolutionary War concluded and it became obvious that the Americans would be victorious, the problem of what to do with the thousands of Loyalists who had fought for the British cause came to the fore.  In the spring and fall of 1783, even before the official signing of the peace treaty, ships carrying some 14,000 Loyalist military and civilian refugees mostly from New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania sailed north from New York ports and arrived at what became Saint John.  The influx of thousands of Loyalists completely submerged New Englanders, Acadians as well as the Mi'gmaq and Maliseet and transformed the political, economic and social life of the region.

The arrival in 1783 of some 14,000 Loyalists proved disastrous to the First Nation people.  The Loyalists were attracted to the traditional places that the First Nations had inhabited for centuries and were able to obtain possession of many of these sites.  The conquering of the area by the English meant that all lands belonged to the British Crown and settlers who wanted land on which to farm, build a house, cut timber, or erect a grist or sawmill merely had to submit a petition for a land grant to the lieutenant governor in Fredericton.  Between 1783 and 1790 over 1,000,000 acres of land in New Brunswick was granted to the Loyalist newcomers.

Prior to 1784, Mi'gmaq and Maliseet leaders attempted to obtain land grants from the Nova Scotia government with some success.  First Nation leaders continued this practice after the creation of New Brunswick in 1784 realizing that if they were to preserve any of their former territory for hunting and fishing they would have to obtain land grants from the Loyalist colonial government at Fredericton.  First Nation leaders sought to acquire title to large tracts of land to leave unsettled and uncultivated so that their people would have sufficient land in which to hunt game and catch fish.  After the creation of New Brunswick in 1784, colonial officials at Fredericton opposed this plan and refused to cooperate.  The British Loyalist officials at Fredericton wanted all New Brunswick settled and as much land as possible cultivated.  Loyalist administrators preferred to issue licences of occupation not land grants to the Mi'gmaq and Maliseet, which gave them permission to occupy and use the land at government's pleasure.  This meant that this 'reserved' land remained Crown land and the government at any time could revoke these licences of occupation.  In this way, First Nations were not treated as full citizens, but viewed as wards of the Crown.  In issuing these licences of occupation to land-parcels, the government at Fredericton always dealt with individual chiefs or small, local groups. When government officials received petitions, they responded directly to the petitioners.  No grants or licences were ever issued to the Mi'gmaq or Maliseet as a nation.

The responsibility for dealing with First Nation matters in New Brunswick rested with the Lieutenant Governor, Executive Council, Provincial Secretary and the House of Assembly.  Monies to assist First Nation people sometimes came directly from England, as in the case of funds for education, but usually the provincial House of Assembly voted monies. 

The British officials at Fredericton bypassed First Nation elders who were the traditional leaders of the Mi'gmaq and Maliseet and disregarded the process of consensus normally employed to make decisions affecting the whole community.  Instead, the British officials treated branches or 'tribes' of Mi'gmaq and Maliseet people as separate, politically independent groups.  Each 'tribe' in New Brunswick possessed a local government based on hereditary chieftaincy.  The word "tribe" is of European origin employed by the British officials before 1867 to apply to any group of First Nation people coming under a local or regional First Nation government.  A chief was chosen at a council or conference usually arranged each year by the Catholic missionaries on St. Anne's Day (July 26).  At this council, band members expressed their views on who should become chief.  These chiefs, sometimes referred to as "kings", often held their positions for one year at a time but could be re-elected to office for any number of years until they died, retired or were removed from office.  A chief could be removed from office for misconduct such as drunkenness or incompetence.  In those places where there was more than one 'tribe', for instance on the Miramichi River, there was an appointed head chief who had authority over the lands of all the 'tribes' and who was also chief of his own particular 'tribe'.  The other 'tribes' on the river had their own local chief, who had authority and autonomy only in their own 'tribe'.  The colonial government in Fredericton officially recognized the head chief who always obtained a formal appointment or commission by the Lieutenant Governor of the day. 

The Maliseet and Mi'gmaq had to deal with the spread of Loyalist settlements along the shores of Passamaquoddy Bay, up the Saint John River, around the Bay of Fundy, up the Petitcodiac, Shepody and Memramcook Rivers, around the Chignecto Basin, at Baie Verte, along the Northumberland Strait and along the north shore.  Because there were no roads constructed in the new colony, waterways remained the principle means of travel and communication for First Nation people and non- First Nation people alike. 

Many First Nation people tried to continue to wander, hunt and fish for part of the year but as settlement became more extensive, fish and game populations declined, trapping for furs and subsistence hunting became more difficult.  Some First Nation people settled for part of the year near communities where they would find a market for their butter and wash tubs, buckets and churns, axe and pick handles, peaveys, barrels and casks, mast hoops, shingles, canoes, paddles and oars, snowshoes, hockey sticks and farm supplies.  They also made and sold, decorative baskets and moccasins and beautiful quillwork but settlers who came to New Brunswick had very little money to spend on such items. 

First Nation people were often able to find various types of work in communities, although they made some money, this source of revenue was uncertain and insufficient, and survival was difficult.

Gradually, land parcels were designated to provide permanent homes for First Nation people; however, these lad parcels were insignificant compared to the original Mi'gmaq and Maliseet territories and were not located on the best sites because these had already been granted to Loyalist settlers.  Colonial officials wanted First Nation peopleto settle down and take up farming for which the government was willing to supply farm equipment and training.  Unfortunately, designated land-parcels did not contain much land suitable for farming.  Settlers trespassed on the more suitable designated land parcels.  They violated First Nation peoplfishing rights, cut hay or timber, raised crops, erected homes and barns and pastured livestock on designated First Nation land parcels without grant or licence.  Government officials at Fredericton tolerated these encroachments because they lacked the money to prosecute trespassers and the sympathy of local and provincial officials usually lay with the squatters.  Complaints to Fredericton were frequent but affected little change.

Established Maliseet communities were located at various points along the Saint John River.  Starting in the northwest, there was an First Nation community at the mouth of the Madawaska River in what later became Madawaska County.  A considerable number of Acadians had moved into this region and taken up lands among the First Nation people.  Soon French settlers and fur traders from Quebec joined them.  There was a Maliseet community just above Middle Southampton on the east bank of the Saint John River in York Countyand at the mouth of the Tobique River in what became Victoria County.  There was a site at St. Mary's across the river from Fredericton.  Smaller First Nation communal sites were at Grand Falls, Nictau and Nictau Lake.  There was the ancient Maliseet community at Meductic on the River Saint John four miles above the mouth of Eel River in what later became Carleton County and seasonal sites on the Becaguimec and Meduxnekeag Rivers.  Also at Fredericton, on the south side of the river, there was an ancient burial ground near where the lieutenant governor's residence now stands.  In 1765, the Maliseet were given a grant of 4 acres.  For a time, the First Nation peoplecontinued to live along the Shogomoc Stream in Canterbury Parish, and near Currie Mountain in Douglas Parish.  In Sunbury County, there was an First Nation settlement at the mouth of the Oromocto River later to become a designated land parcel licensed for First Nation occupation.  In Queens County, there was a First Nation settlement on the Salmon River, two miles below the Gaspéreau.  There were numerous First Nation communal sites around Grand Lake, at Indian Point between Grand Lake and Maquapit Lake, and on the Canaan River about 5 miles above North Forks.  There were First Nation communal sites back of Maugerville in Sunbury County and above Gagetown, Queens County.  In Kings County, Maliseet resided in the Sussex area but departed when settlers intruded on their hunting and gathering grounds.  There were seasonal sites near Apohaqui, on the Kennebecasis and Nerepis Rivers, and on the Millstream.  There were 3 small islands known as "The Brothers" in the Kennebecasis off Milledgeville that later became an First Nation designated land parcel licensed for First Nation occupation.  There were also seasonal sites at Mahogany and Navy Islands for harvesting clams.  West of Point Lepreau there was a site occupied before 1784 and additional sites along the shores of Musquash Harbour and the Musquash River.  There were a considerable number of Maliseet in Charlotte County before the arrival of the Loyalists. St. Andrews was established in 1783 on the site of what had previously been the principal First Nation community in the Passamaquoddy region.  After 1784, First Nation families for a time, continued to live on Indian Island, Ministers Island, Campobello and Grand Manan Islands, at St. Croix, Salmon Falls and along the Magaguadavic, Digdequash, Letang and Bocabec Rivers. 

Mi'gmaq resided at various points along the Northumberland Strait.  In Albert County, there were sites on the Petitcodiac River.  At Fort Folly, an ancient communal site became a designated land parcel licensed for First Nation occupation in 1840.  Along the Shepody River, there were seasonal sites and in Westmorland County, there were small Mi'gmaq settlements near Dorchester.  There were communal sites along the Memramcook River, at Westcock Brook and at Palmer Brook, at Midgic and Cape Tormentine.  At Indian Mountain, about 8 miles northwest of Moncton, there was a hunting centre disrupted by the arrival of Loyalists and, at Moncton, a communal site at Hall's Creek.  In Kent County, there were First Nation communities along the Molus River, on Indian Island and at Big Cove on the Richibucto River 12 miles west of the community of Richibucto.  Later, the community at Big Cove was licensed for First Nation occupation.  Smaller communal sites were located near Bouctouche, Richibucto, and below Rexton on the south side of the river.  In Saint John County, a small number of First Nation people resided in the early 1760's after the arrival of the New Englanders and the Loyalists in 1783.  In Northumberland County, there were many First Nation communal sites on the Miramichi River.  Its branches, such as the Cains, Taxis, Renous, Batholomews, Barnaby and Bartibog, were named after First Nation people who had once lived there.  Communal sites were located along the shores of Miramichi Bay, a few miles above Derby Junction, above Douglastown, and a few miles above Strawberry Point in Newcastle Parish.  Large First Nation communities were located at Red Bank and Eel Ground, and smaller communities at Indiantown and at the mouth of the Renous River.  At Burnt Church was one of the most ancient and important Mi'gmaq settlements in the district.  Later, this became a designated land parcel licensed for First Nation occupation.  In Northumberland County, there were communal sites at the mouth of the Bay du Vin River, at Hardwicke, on the Tabusintac River and at the mouth of the Clearwater Stream in Northesk Parish.  In Gloucester Countythere were many sites along the Bay of Chaleur, along Bathurst Harbour, Miscou Harbour, at Caraquet, on the Pokemouche River, at Shippagan, at Rough Waters, Indian Falls and elsewhere.  Further north in Restigouche County there were communal sites at the mouths of the principal branches of the Restigouche River and at the mouths of all the rivers along the coast from Eel River to Nepisiguit River.  Later, Eel River became a designated land parcel licensed for First Nation occupation.  On Heron Island, the Mi'gmaq had a communal site and cemetery.  There was a large First Nation community at Old Mission Point in Quebec opposite Campbellton.  The modern day Town of Dalhousie is built on an ancient First Nation communal site.

The murder of a Maliseet man by two Loyalists caused considerable excitement and it was feared that the Maliseet would take revenge.  The Maliseet camped about Colonel Allen's house demanding justice and making Allen and his family uncomfortable.  The two Loyalists were arrested, taken to Fredericton, tried and found guilty.  One man was pardoned and the other executed.  The Maliseet were appeased.

When their bands felt they were ill treated, chiefs were encouraged to come to Fredericton and present their complaints before the local government.  Since the main complaint was the loss of lands, the Fredericton officials were instructed to issue land grants to them as soon as possible.  The main goal of the colonial administration at Fredericton was to appease the First Nation people and do so at the least public expense, but this policy did nothing to improve the situation in which First Nation people found themselves because of the loss of their hunting and fishing territory.

Government officials in Fredericton were aware that the Mi'gmaq and Maliseet were having great difficulty in supporting themselves by hunting and fishing because lands were being granted to settlers who killed off the game upon which the they depended on for their survival.  In emergencies, government would supply First Nation people with food but it was believed that it would be better if they would learn to farm, grow their own food and be assimilated into general society as quickly as possible.  Officials hoped that they would not need to live on designated land parcels, or be dependent upon government for support.  They wanted the Mi'gmaq and Maliseet to assume their 'rightful' place as 'productive' citizens.

The Eel Ground community on the North West Miramichi was designated as an First Nation land parcel and issued a license for First Nation occupation for 3,033 acres by the government to John Julian and his 'tribe' on January 10.  See 1783 and 1804. 

At the First Nation school in Sussex, there was an apprenticeship programme with the boys taught to farm and the girls taught to do domestic work.  The First Nation school at Sussex survived for only a few years until it too was abandoned when it failed to change the migratory lifestyle of First Nation pupils, convert them to Protestantism, or assimilate them into Loyalist society.  Alienation from their culture and exposure to abuse, resulted in the majority of students from this school entering into the Roman Catholic Church.

The Maliseet sold Aukpaque to the Loyalists.  Most of the community members moved to Kingsclear and St. Mary's.

The northern boundary between New Brunswick and Quebec was also in dispute.  In the 1790's Acadians had established themselves at the mouth of the Madawaska River among the Maliseet.  They had been joined by French Canadians escaping Quebec's seigniorial system.  Quebec claimed this territory because the population was French-speaking, but Fredericton officials said the settlements were tied to New Brunswick by the Saint John River and thus belonged to them.  Both the Acadians and the Québécois were involved in trading furs with the Maliseet in the region.  In the autumn, the Acadians would advance the Maliseet supplies for the upcoming winter and expected to receive furs the following spring.  However, in spring, Quebec fur traders would arrive and by the use of intoxicating liquors take the furs away from them.  To deal with problems, the Fredericton government appointed John Costin, the only English speaking, Protestant inhabitant of the area who could read and write, as justice of the peace.  A militia unit was also established to maintain law and order among Acadians, Québécois and Maliseet.  The boundary problem between New Brunswick and Quebec would not be resolved for another fifty years!

The Mi'gmaq in Westmorland, Kent, Northumberland and Restigouche counties found themselves involved in a claim by the Halifax government for that part of New Brunswick.  Before and after 1784, strong economic ties between Halifax and the Miramichi had existed, and using the argument of convenience of communication and trade, Nova Scotia claimed that this part of New Brunswick be returned to them.  This application failed and the Mi'gmaq in this area remained under the control of the Fredericton officials.

The ancient Pokemouche community, on the south side of the Pokemouche River 7 miles inland and consisting of 2,600 acres, was issued a license of First Nation occupation by the government in May.

March 5, 750 acres on the north side of the North West Miramichi, opposite the Little South West Miramichi, was licensed by government for occupation by First Nations and called Indian Point or Indiantown (also known as Sunny Corner). 

September 9, government issued a license for First Nation occupation for a 4,600-acre land parcel along the north of the Richibucto River and extending up to Bass River.  This licence for First Nation occupation was modified on February 25, 1824. 

The license for First Nation occupation was issued on February 28 for the designated land parcel3.2 km south of Dalhousie at the mouth of the Eel River.

Repeatedly, First Nation people were ignored except in time of war.  Members of the house of assembly were reluctant to assist them because monies were used by the house to secure the election of members and since First Nation people could not vote, expending money on them was not considered worthwhile.  The lieutenant governor may have wished to assist First Nations, but he was denied funds by the house of assembly.  The colonists refused to accept the First Nation people as equals and viewed them as people to be exploited.