Mi'kmaq Nation Bridgewater parcel

What happened

The Mi'kmaq Nation, a Wabanaki tribe with lands in Aroostook County, Maine, has obtained a parcel of nearly 3,400 acres near Bridgewater. Maine Public reported on June 26, 2026 that the parcel will more than double the tribe's land holdings, and the Bangor Daily News says it doubles the Nation's footprint in the county.

Maine Public explains how it happened. The Conservation Fund purchased the parcel last year from a local forester and held it for the tribe until fundraising for the $1.9 million parcel was completed. The Bangor Daily News calls it a $2 million transaction that came in fully funded about a year ahead of schedule. It is the sixth completed project in the Tributary Land Returns, a collaboration of the five Wabanaki tribes and non-Indigenous conservation groups.

The Nation describes its plans. Chief Sheila McCormack said in a news release that the property gives the people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach children to hunt and fish, and a place to pass down ancestors' traditions. Former Vice Chief Richard Silliboy told the Bangor Daily News he would like to see walking trails and a few cabins. The land will eventually be placed in federal trust, which can take years; until then the tribe will likely have to pay taxes. The Nation will keep current public ATV, snowmobile, bicycle and pedestrian access to a trail that crosses it.

Good to know. Reports give the price as $1.9 million or $2 million, and the size as nearly, about, or over 3,400 acres. It is not clear whether the Nation or The Conservation Fund now holds title.

Summarized with AI assistance from 4 sources and checked against their words; not yet reviewed by historians or by the nations. Report an error