Roger Augustine

Mr. Augustine, a Mi’kmaq from New Brunswick, was Chief of Eel Ground First Nation from 1980 to 1996. Prior to that, he served on council for four years. The AFN Regional Chief for First Nation communities in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, he has been involved in politics, economic development, and the environment for over 30 years.

During his time as a community leader, Mr. Augustine co-founded the Atlantic Policy Congress (APC), which is the political voice for First Nations Chiefs in Atlantic Canada. He also co-founded the North Shore Mi’kmaq Tribal Council. In 1981, Mr. Augustine was one of several dozen representative Chiefs from across Canada who signed the historic 1981 Declaration of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights.

Mr. Augustine considers one of his greatest career accomplishments to be in the field of addictions treatment. After receiving specialized credentials from St. Francis Xavier University in Drug and Alcohol Education, Mr. Augustine made enormous strides in dealing with addiction in his community by introducing a curriculum for Eel Ground Federal School. During his tenure as Chairman of National Drug and Alcohol Advisory Board he received several awards in his field. He is still chairman of the Rising Sun Treatment Centre at Eel Ground. He is also a trained mediator (Alternative Dispute Resolution, University of Waterloo), a member of the ADR Institute of Ontario, and has used his skills in crisis response situations.

In 1995, Mr. Augustine successfully negotiated a $90 million partnership between eight New Brunswick First Nations communities and U.S. lumber companies. Two years later, the First Nations received a $2.5 million profit.

He is also a Commissioner for Indian Land Claims, and An Assurance Group Member of Mining, Minerals and Sustainable Development.