Brief Update on Enrollment Process – February 11, 2013
Dear members and Potential Members,
As mentioned in the January 2013 update on the enrolment process, the FNI implementation committee held several meetings with Mr. Fred Caron and officials of Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada. Both parties met on February 08/13 and are scheduled to meet again on February 18th and 19th to continue discussions on reaching an acceptable resolution regarding the overwhelming number of applications that were not reviewed up to the end of the review process as outlined in the agreement. There is no decision reached at this time and the only information to report on is that further discussions are scheduled to continue with the best intentions of reaching an acceptable process to deal with all remaining applications.
Chief Brendan Sheppard
Gander Bay By-Election
Due to the fact, that no candidate offered themselves for councilor of the Gander Bay Ward during the Qalipu election in the fall of 2012. Qalipu will hold a by-election in this area on March 27th 2013. The successful candidate will be required to attend four council meetings in each fiscal year. The cost of attending council meetings are fully covered by Qalipu, for example travel rate at .53 cents per kilometer, full day meal allowance $71.30, incidental 17.30, hotel accommodation covered or private accommodation at $50.00, if required to overnight, $100 per diem per meeting and a yearly honorarium of $5,000.00.
Therefore; we are asking all members of QMFN in the Gander Bay Ward to visit www.qalipu.ca and update member information into the GINU membership database. Remember, use the Already logged in section if you have previously logged in. For members who have not logged in before you must enter a zero in front of your band registration number. Please provide current email address, street address and mailing address. As you may be aware QMFN has incorporated a mail in ballot option for the election process and without the correct mailing address we will not be able to provide you with this feature. Qalipu can also notify members of election details through an email if members register an email address in the GINU membership database. 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 you can imagine with such a large membership, we need you to take responsibility for making sure your information is up to date in order for us to provide you with update information.
Chief Brendan Sheppard
RCMP / Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Student Summer Program
The Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation and the RCMP are working together to build a worthwhile work experience for those aboriginal youth who are interested in the RCMP program. This job opportunity will give you an insightful look at the RCMP and may help you decide if this is a career opportunity you wish to pursue.
Click here for more information
Qalipu was saddened to hear that Ben White, a former Chief of the Indian Head Band Council in Stephenville and a good friend passed away on January 27th, 2013. Ben as he was known by all was a very sincere and strong supporter of the aboriginal movement here in our province. Ben served on the Federation of Newfoundland Indians board of directors for many years and was well respected for his contribution and guidance as an Elder at the FNI board table. Even though his health was causing him problems he always made a call to me from time to time to check on certain things and to pass on words of encouragement as well as to ask about others who were on the board of directors during his time as Chief. Ben will be sadly missed by all who knew him, our most sincere condolences to his wife Barb and family. Here is a link to Ben’s obituary.
Chief Brendan Sheppard
Fishing Designation Available
The Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band (MAMKA program) has one non-core fishing designation available for the 4R area. This license includes Lobster (LFA 13A), Bait, and Herring. Fishing vessel, equipment, and traps will be the responsibility of the selected applicant to supply. Members of Qalipu Mi’Kmaq First Nations Band living within the region are encouraged to apply by submitting a letter of interest, with their band number, and outline of their experience by 12pm (noon) on April 12th, 2013. All qualified applicants will be entered into a draw for license designation which will be conducted in the presence of two councillors from the region.
Please drop off or mail applications to MAMKA, 3 Church Street, Corner Brook, NL, A2H 2Z4.
Member Consultations
The Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation is holding member consultations in the west coast region to talk about the Muskrat Falls Hydroelectric project and related Maritime Link project. The Band needs to hear from members about possible business and employment benefits, as well as environmental and traditional land use concerns. Every Band member is encouraged to attend.
Sessions will be held at:
Corner Brook on Monday March 18 at 7:00pm at the Glynmill Inn
St. Georges on Tuesday March 19 at 7:00pm at the K’Taqmkuk Mi’kmaw Historic Museum
Burgeo on Wednesday March 20 at 7:00pm at the Burgeo Community Hall
Gander Bay Indian Band Council Membership Notice
On Tuesday April 9, 2013 the Gander Bay Indian Band Council will hold an Annual General Meeting for its membership. For more information click here.
Sple’tk First Nation Member Notice
Please take notice that on April 4, 2013 the Sple’tk First Nation (SFN) will be holding an Annual General Assembly for its membership. For more information click here.
Gander Bay By-Election – NOTICE OF ACCLAIMATION
Following the close of nominations on Friday February 22, 2013 at 4:00 pm only one nomination was received for the position of councilor for the Gander Bay Ward. Therefore nominee Calvin Francis was declared elected for the position of councilor.
Carol Lahey
Electoral Officer
Gander Bay By Election Information
Election Information found here.
Update on Enrollment Process – January 17, 2013
Dear members and Potential Members,
There is no great change to the information which was provided in my earlier update on the enrolment process other than the fact that the timeline for the review of applications in the second stage has concluded as of December 31, 2012. The enrolment committee is now doing the work which is required of them as per the agreement. The agreement between the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI) and the Government of Canada, for the recognition of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band (QMFB) is still at this point in time, scheduled to end March, 2013. The submission date for applications under the enrolment process ended November 30th 2012. There was in excess of 100,000 applications received for the entire process.
As mentioned in the previous update, I wrote Minister John Duncan and requested an extension to the agreement in order to have all applications that were received as of November 30th 2012 reviewed. While the Minister has yet to agree to my request for an extension, he has appointed Mr. Fred Caron as a special representative to advise him on how to deal with the remaining applications. The implementation committee representing Qalipu has had several meetings with Mr. Fred Caron and his colleagues from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada in respect to addressing this issue and two other meetings are currently scheduled, one for January 18th and the other for January 31st. To date no decision has been made however both teams are sincerely working towards establishing a resolve to this issue and until a decision is made there is nothing more I can provide in the way of information.
Chief Brendan Sheppard
Corner Brook Ward Town Hall Meeting
Councillor Brendan Mitchell will be holding a Town Hall meeting for the Corner Brook Ward on January 29th from 7:00pm-9:00pm at the Pepsi Center in Meeting Room #2. Enter at Box Office entrance.
Message from Chief Sheppard
Merry Christmas to each of you and a wish for a healthy 2013. Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band held its very first meeting with the newly elected counselors on December 10th and 11th 2012. The first day began with a meet and greet breakfast for counselors and all Qalipu staff, this session was important to give counselors and staff an opportunity to get to know each other. All counselors were in attendance and the Oath of Office was taken by each. Council was updated on the current initiatives within QMFN by a number of consultants involved in the different projects as well as presentations from Qalipu’s managers of programs. A couple of weeks prior to the council meeting counselors were provided with all related policies and procedures of Qalipu as well as the minutes of the last meeting of Qalipu’s interim council. It is evident to me that the new elected Qalipu council will be a pleasure to work with on behalf of all members.
Qalipu Council has decided to hold a by-election in the Gander Bay ward prior to March 31, 2013. Mr. Wayne Green, who served as the Chief electoral officer during the recent Qalipu election has advised Qalipu that he is now gone into full retirement and will not be available to serve as Chief Electoral Officer for Qalipu.
The agreement between the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI) and the Government of Canada for the recognition of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band (QMFNB) is currently scheduled to end March 21st, 2013. The submission date for applications under the enrolment process ended November 30th 2012 and the review process of these applications is scheduled to end December 30th, 2012, with other necessary work associated with this process to be completed as of March 21, 2013.
As previously mentioned in media interviews over the past year, the number of applications received has surpassed everyone’s expectations. During the second stage of the enrollment process over 70,000 applications were received, bringing the overall total for both the first and second stage to over 100,000 applications.
When it became apparent that all these applications could not be reviewed in the time frame outlined in the agreement, I wrote Minister John Duncan and requested an extension to the agreement to allow for the review of all applications that were received as of November 30th 2012.
While the Minister has yet to respond to my request for an extension, FNI and AANDC have agreed to work together to discuss next steps. To that end, Minister Duncan appointed Mr. Fred Caron as a special representative to work with the leadership of the QMFNB on an approach to address the situation and advise him on how to deal with the remaining applications.
The implementation committee representing QMFNB has had several meetings with Mr. Caron and his colleagues from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada to address this issue and further discussions are scheduled. Both parties are making a sincere effort to reach a reasonable resolution that will provide for an assessment and review of all remaining applications. Given the ongoing nature of these discussions it is not possible to predict, at this time, what will be the result of the discussions or when a final decision will be made.
Enrolment offices will be closed effectively January 04, 2013 and the enrolment committee will not be answering any calls or emails they will contact an applicant if the need arises.
AFN Student Video Contest
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) invites First Nation students – grade school and high school – to participate in a video contest telling us about your school.
Click here for more information.
Thank you from Chief Brendan Sheppard
Dear Members, I take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you who supported me for the Chief’s position in Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band’s historic election. I am very pleased to have such an honorable position bestowed upon me. On behalf of Qalipu elected council members, I also extend a thank you to all Qalipu members who exercised their right to vote in this very important first election for Chief and council.
End of Polls – Election Results – October 23, 2012
Click here for the Election Results Press Release.
Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Members – August 30th, 2012
NOTICE
As per section 6.5.2 of the Agreement for the recognition of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation (QMFN) and inclusive of the amendment to the Agreement noted as the accelerated process an election must be called by September 22, 2012 and held by March 22, 2013. Therefore; we are asking all members of QMFN to visit www.qalipu.ca and update member information into the GINU membership database. Remember, use the Already logged in section if you have previously logged in. For members who have not logged in before you must enter a zero in front of your band registration number. Please provide current email address, street address and mailing address. For many people, the street address will determine on which voters list their name will be placed. As you may be aware QMFN has incorporated a mail in ballot option for the election process and without the correct mailing address we will not be able to provide you with this feature. Qalipu can also notify members of an election date through an email if members have registered an email address in the GINU membership database. 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 you can imagine with such a 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.
Message from Chief Brendan Sheppard – August 30th, 2012
Post Secondary-Education Funding
Programs being implemented by Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band (QMFN) on behalf of its members, such as Post-Secondary Education (PSE), is not a right as some members believe it to be. QMFN receives a certain amount of funding from Aboroginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) to assist members with their PSE. QMFN can only approve applications based on the amount of funding received. There is no doubt with such a huge membership within Qalipu, there will be applicants who will not receive approval for funding and that has to be expected unless there was an endless amount of funding for this program. In light of the enormous response to this program, the only fair process available in determining application approval is to deal with completed applications on a first- come- first- serve basis with all applications being date stamped. Qalipu sympathizes with those applicants who did not receive funding approval for this fiscal year. We would like to have sufficient funding to deal with each and every applicant, unfortunately the budget for PSE from AANDC does not allow for such consideration. Please understand that we at Qalipu are doing our utmost to be fair and equitable as possible to all members we represent.
Chief Brendan Sheppard
Message from Chief Brendan Sheppard – June 27th, 2012
Amendment to the Order in Council under the Accelerated Process.
As Chief of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation (QMFN) I am happy to report that the final amendment to the Order in Council (OIC) under the accelerated process to deal with all eligible applications submitted for status recognition with QMFN in November 30, 2009 has been pass on June 19, 2012. The amendment included 933 individuals to be added to the founding members list in the first stage of the enrollment process. All 933 individuals will be receiving a temporary confirmation of their registration from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development within the near future.
Aboriginal Day 2012 – June 27th 2012
Aboriginal Day Celebrations took place in Corner Brook on June 21, 2012 in recognition of National Aboriginal Day. The Great Creator blessed the first annual Qalipu Aboriginal Day Celebration with absolutely beautiful weather. It was very encouraging to see so many people attend the day long celebrations and we do hope that the people who attended enjoyed the day as much as Qalipu representatives enjoyed the day. We have attached a photo gallery of some of the day events. Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band has formed a Cultural Committee and that Committee is committed to holding at least one National Aboriginal Day Celebration in the major regions on the island where we have members residing. We are optimistic that members in each region would like to be part of the Cultural Committee and help support ongoing National Aboriginal Day Celebrations in all regions.
Deputy Ministers’ Recognition Award – June 25th, 2012
We would like to congratulate CEO Annie Randell and Chief Brendan Sheppard on receiving the Deputy Ministers’ Recognition Award for Collaboration/Partnerships.
CEO Annie Randell’s Award
Chief Brendan Sheppard’s Award
Tony John
It was a shock along with the greatest degree of sadness for the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band and the many many people who knew Tony John of Glenwood NL, when we were advised of his sudden passing, while he was away from home working in Fort McMurray. Tony John was one of the original founders of the Native Association of Newfoundland and Labrador which eventually evolved into the Federation of Newfoundland Indians. Tony was attending university at the time the aboriginal movement began in Canada, which quickly caught on here in this province. Since the establishment of the Aboriginal Provincial Organization, Tony held several key positions such vice president, president, board member and Chief of the Glenwood Mi’kmaq First Nation and held these positions with the greatest consideration and respect for the Mi’kmaq living on the island portion of this province. Tony was a great friend and a strong supporter of the landless band concept which would establish official recognition for the Mi’kmaq people whom he advocated for since his involvement. On June 09th 2006 Tony announce to the FNI executive and board of directors that he was resigning as Chief of the Glenwood Mi’kmaq First Nation Band and that even though he was bowing out of aboriginal politics he would always be there for us and that we could call upon him at any time. When the Prime Minister of Canada came to St. George’s in November of 2007 to witness the signing of the agreement –in-principle, Tony was invited to the signing ceremony. Tony accepted the invitation without any hesitation and was very happy to attend. On the day of the ceremony Tony was sitting in a front row seat with a very notable smile of pride and contentment that the goal and objective of the FNI which he was instrumental in starting many decades ago was finally becoming a reality. Tony’s commitment and dedication to the Mi’kmaq movement in this province will remain a legacy and will never be forgotten. Tony was a true friend, one who never went behind your back if he had something to get off his chest. Tony was an up-front person who made his position known regardless of who you were or what position you held. Tony and I didn’t always agree in meetings and sometimes strong words of disagreement were expressed but after the meeting was over Tony was the same friend as if the disagreement had not happened, an excellent quality, a true value of a Mi’kmaq person. On behalf of the Federation of Newfoundland Indians and the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation, I express our deepest sympathy and offer our sincere condolences to Tony’s mother, his daughter Toni Marie, his two grandsons and all members of his family.
Brendan Sheppard
Chief, Qalipu
Cultural Foundation Planning Session – October 17th, 2012
Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation (QMFN) is seeking input from members on the development of a Cultural Foundation. Click here for more information
Tourism Policy – August 30th, 2012
Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation (QMFN) is seeking input from members on the development of a Tourism policy. Click here for more information.
Message from Chief Brendan Sheppard – April 26th, 2012
Dear members and potential members, as you are aware the band was just recently established in September 2011 and has many challenges to deal with in order to build a firm foundation for the future. I realize that the process of reaching a staff person within Qalipu for any type of assistance either through phone calls ,emails and letters etc is frustrating, however please understand that there is a huge demand for service at this time. There are thousands of individuals seeking information related to their Mi’kmaq ancestry, requesting information on their applications, on their status cards, on their medical prescriptions, dental, along with hundreds of visits to our offices, individuals looking for applications and seeking all types of information, making it very difficult for a staff member to be readily available at the ring of a phone. At this stage in the transition QMFN is incorporating new accountability systems which have placed a huge demand on staff time. However; all of these efforts are necessary to provide service and accountability to the large dispersed membership. Qalipu is now dealing with approximately forty thousand applicants as opposed to eighty-six hundred during the period of time when the Federation of Newfoundland Indians was lobbying for recognition. I trust you will understand there are many agenda items that need attention during this time and they all cannot be addressed at once however; they will be dealt with as best we can during our infancy stage. To assist each of you, we have recently updated our contact list so that you can hopefully reach the appropriate person when trying to make contact with QMFN. In closing, I ask all to remain patient and provide Qalipu sufficient time to deal with all the important matters which need to be completed.
Update on Enrolment Process – April 26th, 2012
In keeping with the accelerated process an amendment to the Order in Council took place on March 29, 2012. This amendment included 1514 applications which were in the system prior to November 2009. Approval letters for this number of applicants will be sent out from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) soon.
A fourth batch of 921 applications which were also in the system prior to November 2009 was submitted for approval by AANDC on March 23, 2012 for inclusion on the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation founders list. These 921 applications are yet to be approved by an Order in Council.
All other applications submitted after November 30, 2009 will be submitted for inclusion to the founders list after the independent enrolment committee has completed all of their review and other necessary work as specified in the agreement which will be sometime in 2013. Letters from the independent chair Mr. Tom Rideout will continue to go out to applicants periodically.
Update your file and stay connected with Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band – March 15th, 2012
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.