Chapter 5 First Nations and Shale Gas in New Brunswick: Partners or Bystanders? Economic and Social Development of First Nations Communities, Aboriginal Rights and Opportunities for Developing Natural Gas from Shale Stephen Wyatt Université de Moncton Janelle Baker McGill University In 1999, the provincial Task Force on Aboriginal Affairs, led by Gerard La Forest and Graydon Nicolas, released a report examining relations between the Aboriginal peoples of NewBrunswick and the provincial government. Although the initial focus was on the forest sector, following the Paul casein 1997, the task force took a broader view of the issues that were affecting the place of Aboriginal people within New Brunswick society. They noted that the New Brunswick Aboriginal community has been largely overlooked in the development of policy and the provision of services by the provincial government. To reverse this situation, they stressed the need for a “more respectful and productive relationship” and made concrete propositions to help build this relation- ship. In particular, the Task Force recommended, “In future, when negotiating infrastructure and economic development agreements, the federal and provincial governments should