In the context of the recognition of the Maliseet of Viger First Nation (MVFN, now Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk) by Canada (1987) and Québec (1989), we propose to examine how and why this nation was forgotten. The story is set in a long-term perspective and in the broader context of the official recognition of Indigenous Peoples in Canada (1982), of Indigenous Nations in Québec (1985 and 2000) and of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (2007).