(September 17, 2012 Corner Brook, NL) Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation will be holding its first election on October 23, 2012 for all positions on its band council – Chief, Central Vice Chief, Western Vice Chief and a Council for each of the nine wards throughout Newfoundland.

Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation was created close to a year ago on September 22, 2011 through an Order-in-Council of the Governor-General-in-Council, completing the Agreement that was signed on June 23^rd 2008 between the Government of Canada and The Federation of Newfoundland Indians. As per the requirements of the Agreement and the amended section 6.5.2, the band council had to announce the date of the first election for all positions on band council within twelve months and hold the election within eighteen months of the date of the establishment of the Band.

Mr. Wayne Green of St. Johns was appointed by the band council close to a year ago on October 20^th, 2011 as the Electoral Officer for the first election to be conducted under the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Customs Elections Rules. Mr. Green will be making a call in the near future for nominations of the positions as they are outlined in Annex C Schedule A of the Agreement.
 

Annie Randell

Chief Executive Officer
Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation
www.qalipu.ca
634-0996

The web site has been experiencing an average of 10,434 visitors per day during the past fourteen days. Not everyone is visiting to update their profiles. Many visitors are looking for information on membership, training and employment.

We are greatly encouraged by the level of interest in matters pertaining to Qalipu and the number of members who have already successfully updated their profiles. If you or someone you know hasn’t taken the time to do the update, please make the effort to do so and encourage others to do so as well.

We need accurate information in order to be able to contact you and to create our voter’s list.

Qalipu is in the process of establishing a Voter’s List for the first ever election for the new Band as well as building a picture of its workforce. That’s why it is so important to update your profile. Do your part to make Qalipu a success!

During the week of March 12-18 we had 3,859 unique visitors to our site. Members have been busy visiting the site every day of the week with most of them visiting on the weekend. The chart graphically shows the number of visitors each day.

Our callers have been hearing some very positive comments during the past week. Some members have said:

I am

• excited about the services after all these years of waiting

• using the Internet for the first time to update my profile

• glad the band is reaching out to its members

• excited that this has finally become a reality

• amazed by the number of people that are a part of this band

 The lady works on the database1-800 number is very nice.

 This is wonderful. I have been wondering how we can get updates and information about the band.

 Update your profile and tell your friends, family and other Qalipu members to do the same.

If you don’t currently have an e-mail address you can get one free at any of the sites listed below. Once you have your e-mail address, please update that information in your profile.

If you don’t have an email, free email accounts may be created at online services such as:

1. GMX Email

2. Gmail by Google

3. Yahoo Email

4. Hotmail by Microsoft

5. ICloud by Apple for those with Macs or iOS devices

We are working hard to make sure we develop the best services and programs for you and all of our members. We are working now on updating our Qalipu Membership Database. This will help us build a database of current information on our members.  It will provide current contact information for the election process as well as allow you to access training and employment programs, especially for members who are over 18 years of age. (A letter was recently sent to all members 18 years of age and older outlining the details of this project.)

It is critically important that you continuously manage your own member profiles on our database. I urge you to actively keep your information up to date.  As of now, we have more than 16,000 registered members over the age of 18 (of the almost 22,000 members in total); it is quite possible that this number will almost double in the next few years. As you can imagine with this large membership we need you to take responsibility for making sure your information is up to date in order for us to maintain communications with you.

Our new website will keep you informed about our programs and services. Through the website you can now access your individual member files. Please click on the “Update Member Information” button and follow the instructions.

We have a team of trained callers who will phone as many of your homes as possible by the end of March. They will help some people who cannot access their files online. You can also call 1-855-634-8611 if it is necessary for you to talk to someone.

Please be assured of privacy and confidentiality. You control your file though your own password. Everyone working on the database has been screened and has signed a confidentiality agreement.

This campaign to update our information is linked to several projects including a labour skill and education inventory and the development of the economic development strategy. We ask you to help your family members and remind them of how important it is for all of your family to be registered in the Qalipu membership database with all their information kept current.

Thank you for helping us help you. Your support is greatly appreciated. We will work together to shape a bright future for all members of Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band.

Sincerely

 Chief Brendan Sheppard

Instructions for Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation– Membership Database

We have a new Membership and Labour Force database which will help Qalipu provide services to members.  All members are encouraged to complete their profile in that database. Recently QMFNB sent letters to members over the age of 18 encouraging you to login and update your profile.  Please do so ASAP.  You may receive a call over the next few weeks checking to confirm your profile or to see if you need help in completing it.

In the meantime check back here regularly for updates.  Please encourage other Qalipu members to visit this Blog and to link it in any Blogs that you are managing.  We will be updating regularly to keep you informed of the progress we are making with getting member profiles in the database.

Let’s put social networking to work!

Chief Brendan Sheppard of the Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation has announced that the Band is going to consult with its membership to get input on the development of the organization’s first Economic Development Strategy.

The Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation was created in September 2011 with over 20,000 members.  The Band does not have designated reserve land and members predominantly reside in Central and Western Newfoundland.

Chief Sheppard stated “Our official recognition as status Mi’Kmaq Indians has provided us with an opportunity to actively engage in business and economic development in this province.  We recognize that in order to be successful as a First Nation Band we must become pro-active in making sound business investments.  The creation of an Economic Development Strategy is a key step in helping to create an environment for our members and communities to succeed.”

The Qalipu Development Corporation has been incorporated to run existing business operations and explore future business developments.  The Band and Council have also created a Department of Resources and Economic Development.  It is responsible for community economic development and encouraging entrepreneurship.  

The Economic Development Strategy will provide direction for Chief and Council, as well as staff, as they plan for future economic and community development in the areas of investment, entrepreneurship, employment and community growth. 

“We are relying on our members to come forward and participate in the regional consultations,” stated Chief Sheppard.  “People can speak to this in-person at the sessions or by completing the on-line survey at www.qalipu.ca.  We are also accepting written submissions at our office in Corner Brook.”

Regional consultations will be held in the following locations:

Grand Falls-Windsor        March 8^th at 7:00 pm at the Mount Peyton Hotel

Corner Brook                    March 6^th at 7:00 pm at the Glynmill Inn

Stephenville                      March 7^th at 7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn

For more information contact:  Annie Randell, Chief Executive Officer  –  Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation            Telephone 709-634-0823                  E-mail: arandell@qalipu.ca.

The interim Chief of the Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band welcomes the announcement by the Government of Canada that the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band has been formed. This has created the opportunity for thousands of Mi’Kmaq to become status Indians. Chief Brendan Sheppard believes that while the announcement was a long time in the making, it is welcome news.

“There are many people who have worked hard and never lost belief that this day would arrive”, stated Chief Sheppard. “The members of the newly recognized Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band are proud of their heritage as Mi’Kmaq people. We believe that this recognition signifies the start of a dynamic future. We are looking forward to creating true partnerships with the governments of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, and the other Provinces and Territories to create that future.”

On September 26, 2011, the Honourable John Duncan, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, announced on behalf of the Government of Canada the official formation of the Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band. It was created as a landless band meaning that it will not have a reserve. The Band will have offices in St. Georges, Grand Falls-Windsor, Glenwood and Corner Brook, NL.

The Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band was created with a membership of 21,429 people. The membership enrolment process will continue until November 30, 2012. It is anticipated that the final membership numbers could result in the new Band being the largest aboriginal band in Canada. The majority of these people live on the island of Newfoundland with others living primarily throughout Canada.

An agreement signed in 2008 set out a process that would lead to the establishment of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band and the recognition of its members as status Indians under the Indian Act. The agreement also sought to settle legal claims begun by the Federation of Newfoundland Indians and individuals seeking status under the Indian Act. The announcement by the Government of Canada realizes these objectives.

Contact: Chief Brendan Sheppard
Telephone: (709) 647-3033 or 649-1659
E-mail: bsheppard@qalipu.ca
Web Site: www.qalipu.ca

Background Information: Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band

• Qalipu is the Mi’Kmaq word for caribou. In English it is pronounced hal-lay-boo.
• The Band does not have land specified as “reserve lands” in the agreement. This does not mean that the Band cannot pursue land claims with federal and provincial governments in the future.
• The OIC created the Qalipu Band with 21,429 members
• The functioning of the Band is guided by the Indian Act.
• The Federation of Newfoundland Indians is made up of members of nine non-status Mi’Kmaq Bands.
• The Board of Directors of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians forms the first Band Council of the Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nation Band for the transitional period.
• Brendan Sheppard, as the President of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, becomes the interim Chief of the Band.
• Elections will be held no later than 18 months following the band’s formation to elect the Chief and Council of the Band.
• No aboriginal people were recognized as status Indians under the Terms of Union between Newfoundland (now the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador) and Canada in 1949.
• The Mi’Kmaq people have a long history in the Atlantic region with first recorded European contact in the 16th century.
• The Mi’Kmaq language is an Eastern Algonquian language spoken by nearly 11,000 Mi’kmaq in Canada and the United States.

For more information please visit Qalipu.ca and Canada.ca.

“The creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band is an important step forward for the Mi’kmaq people of Newfoundland,” said Minister Duncan. “Today marks the official recognition for all members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band as Status Indians under the Indian Act.”

“I congratulate the efforts of all members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band,” said the Honourable Peter Penashue, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada. “Today marks a historic occasion for the Mi’kmaq of Newfoundland, one which will not be forgotten.”

With the creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band, members of the band will be able to access federal programs and services. As outlined in the Settlement Agreement, there are no lands set aside to create a reserve. An official celebration will take place later this fall with members of the band.

“On behalf of the members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band, I want to thank all the people who worked so hard in bringing our recognition process to reality,” said Brendan Sheppard, Chief, Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band. “Thousands of Mi’kmaq people are finally able to claim their birthright, and while we must not forget our history, we must look forward to the future and do the best we possibly can to develop the tremendous potential that exists among our people.”

Backgrounder – Creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band

In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join Confederation. There was no agreement between the province and Canada on if, how or when the Indian Act system would be applied to the Mi’kmaq, who live primarily on the Island of Newfoundland. In the absence of such an agreement, coupled with the fact that there were no reserve lands nor federal treaties requiring reserve creation, the Indian Act was not applied.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Canada provided ad-hoc funding to the province for social and health programs for Aboriginal Communities living in the province. Over time, however, both the federal government and the First Nation population expressed a desire for a more focused and systematic application of the Indian Act.

In 1989, the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI) , representing approximately 7,800 members from the nine Mi’kmaq communities across the island, along with Chiefs of six affiliated groups began a Federal Court Action seeking eligibility for registration under the Indian Act. Due to years of on-and-off again negotiations, the court case was in abeyance until 2002 when exploratory discussions to settle the court action between Canada and FNI began. These discussions involved consultation sessions with Mi’kmaq communities and FNI members that were held by FNI and Canada. Through this process, FNI members voiced that they would like to be registered as Status Indians under the Indian Act and the FNI made a commitment to all of its members that they would be able to vote on any agreement reached with Canada. In addition, the Government of Canada proposed that Newfoundland Mi’kmaq be registered under the Indian Act as a band with no reserve land if they met the established membership eligibility criteria.

From 2004 to 2006, the FNI and the Government of Canada agreed to undertake official negotiations for the creation of a band with no reserve land under the Indian Act for the Mi’kmaq of Newfoundland. In 2006, an Agreement-in-Principle (AIP) was reached that identified the process for recognition, the creation of a band with no reserve land, and specific FNI members who can vote on ratification. On November 30, 2007, the Government of Canada and FNI announced that they had completed negotiations and the Agreement-in-Principle was initialled, marking a historic day for the Mi’kmaq of Newfoundland. FNI members overwhelmingly ratified this AIP on March 2008 and Canada ratified it on June 2008.

On September 23, 2011, the creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band was announced. The creation of the band was advanced to improve the quality of life and economic prospects of the new band’s membership. Through the creation of the band, Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq are recognized as a band under the Indian Act. The registration of members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation follows the creation of the band and members will receive a Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, pending the issuance of a Certificate of Indian Status. This document indicates that the individual named therein is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act and may access benefits and/or services conferred to Registered Indians.

September 2011

Frequently Asked Questions –
Creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band

Q.1. Why was the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band created?

The creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band is a result of an out-of-court Settlement Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI).

Q.2. What are the main goals of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band?

Through the creation of the band, Newfoundland’s Mi’kmaq receive official federal recognition as a band within the meaning of the Indian Act. Its members will be eligible for registration as Status Indians and have access to programs and benefits made available to other Status Indians in Canada.

Q.3. What programs and services are available to the new band membership?

The Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that members of the band are able to access federal programs and services for Status Indians once they receive their Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document.

The Settlement Agreement states that the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band and its members will be eligible for certain federal programs. These programs currently include:

• Post-secondary Student Support
• Band Support Funding
• Band Employee Benefits
• Community Economic Development Organizations
• Community Support Services
• Community Economic Opportunities
• Non-insured Health Benefits

Q.4. Who is eligible for registration and membership in the band?

An individual is eligible to be enrolled in the new band if he or she:

• is living at the time the band is established;
• is of Canadian Indian ancestry by birth or adoption;
• was a member of a Newfoundland pre-Confederation Mi’kmaq Community on or before March 31, 1949, or is a descendant of such a person by birth or adoption;
• is not registered in the Indian Registry as of the date of the establishment of the new band; and
• self-identifies and is accepted by the Mi’kmaq Group of Indians.

Q.5. Why were Mi’kmaq people in Newfoundland not registered immediately following the province’s entry into Confederation in 1949?

In 1949, Newfoundland and Labrador was the last province to join Confederation. There was no agreement between the province and Canada on if, how or when the Indian Act system would be applied to the Mi’kmaq, who live primarily on the Island of Newfoundland. In the absence of such an agreement, coupled with the fact that there were no reserve lands nor federal treaties requiring reserve creation, the Indian Act was not applied.

From the 1950s to the 1980s, Canada provided ad-hoc funding to the province for social and health programs for Aboriginal communities living in the province. Over time, however, both the federal government and the First Nation population expressed a desire for a more focused and systematic application of the Indian Act system.

Q.6. How does the creation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band benefit the Mi’kmaq of the province?

Registered Newfoundland Mi’kmaq will now have access to several federal programs that are available to Status Indians throughout Canada.

Q.7. How will members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band access these programs and services?

Members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band will be registered in the weeks following the creation of the band and will receive a Temporary Confirmation of Registration Document from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, pending the issuance of a Certificate of Indian Status. This document indicates that the individual named therein is registered as an Indian under the Indian Act and may access benefits and/or services conferred to Registered Indians. The document is temporary in nature, with an expiry date, and will provide the client with written evidence of their registration as an Indian until such time as they apply for and receive their Certificate of Indian Status.

Date: September 26, 2011