Please be advised, Qalipu First Nation is not directly involved in the supply of groceries to community members and individuals cannot add their names to a food distribution list by calling our offices.  There are several community organizations who have applied to grocery chains for frozen foods that are being shared among their membership including the Flat Bay Indian Band, St. George’s Indian Band and others.  In other communities, food is being distributed by Indigenous community groups who have applied to Qalipu and other funders for money to prepare and distribute food hampers, sanitation supplies and to respond to a variety of other community needs.

Chief and Council at Qalipu First Nation are doing everything possible for communities as they navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic.  Following is a summary of past and ongoing initiatives put in place to support our membership during Covid-19.

Qalipu First Nation Covid-19 Relief Fund (first round): $52,975 received from Indigenous Services Canada, $22,625 supplied by Chief and Council on behalf of Qalipu First Nation.  These funds have been fully allocated to 14 Indigenous community groups which were in turn distributed to individuals in the form of food hampers, sanitation supplies, personal protective equipment and other needs in some 25 communities.   Click here to view the list of recipients of this fund.

Post-Secondary Student Support Program: $244,720 allocated to Qalipu-funded students in the form of lump sum living allowances at $460/eligible student dispersed in April, 2020.

Qalipu First Nation Small Business Support Grant: $150,000 in funding provided by Indigenous Services Canada being distributed as non-repayable grants of up to $10,000 per eligible member-owned business.  This process is ongoing; apply for the fund here

Community Emergency Response Fund for Urban & Off Reserve: $678, 311 in funding received from Indigenous Services Canada for Qalipu to develop and distribute vulnerable population kits, provide for essential transportation, develop youth wellness and prevention kits, and provide a subsidy for essential workers childcare costs.  A coordinator has been hired to oversee this fund, and a hiring process is underway for support specialists in each region.  Delivery of products and services under this fund is expected to begin soon.

Post-Secondary Student Support Fund for Qalipu Students: $1,496,987 in student funding was used to sponsor students for Intercession/Summer sessions and additional students for the Fall/Winter semesters.  Apply for funding with Qalipu here.

New Horizons for Seniors: $25,000 received from Employment and Social Development Canada has been partially dispersed buying iPad’s to be made available on loan to seniors participating in virtual workshops.  The remainder is earmarked to be spent on a community cookbook project. Member recipes and stories about hunting and foraging on the land will be compiled to create a digital cookbook which will be put into print and mailed to seniors.

Qalipu First Nation Covid-19 Relief Fund (second round): $51,000 in funds available to support Indigenous community groups in providing relief at the grassroots level.  Funding priority will be given to those groups who did not receive funding during the first round.  Applications for this fund are now being accepted, apply here.

Meagan Musseau is a L’nu artist who nourishes an interdisciplinary practice by working with customary art forms and new media, such as basketry, beadwork, land-based performance, video and installation. For the artist talk, Meagan will share about her journey as an artist from Ktaqmkuk. She will speak to ways of embodying knowledge through the use of art techniques, land-based practices, and collaboration.

Register for the Artist Talk here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LXW9HGK

In this issue, you will learn about exciting research on bats, birds, and insect pests that impact rare and endangered plants of the limestone barrens. Stories describe conservation work on beautiful nature reserves and sea duck nesting islands. You will learn how youth workshops accommodated smaller gatherings while participants learned and had fun.

This initiative is funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Community Nominated Priority Places program, with additional support from the NL Department of Fisheries and Land Resources and many organizations, businesses, and individuals. Core partners are Qalipu First Nation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and lead organization Intervale. Many organizations, businesses, and individuals play key roles in project implementation and we are extremely grateful to them all.

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The Newfoundland and Labrador Indigenous Tourism Association (NLITA) is applauding the work of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) in supporting Indigenous tourism operators throughout the province.

“Prior to COVID-19, Indigenous tourism was one of the fastest growing segments in the Canadian tourism sector, and that was certainly the case here in Newfoundland and Labrador as well” says NLITA Board Chairperson Tara Saunders. “While it’s been a challenging year for tourism operators, ITAC’s continued support – including the financial contributions to the 33 Indigenous operators in this province – has been instrumental to the survival and continued development of Indigenous tourism in Newfoundland and Labrador through these challenging times.”

ITAC has awarded a total of 678 grants to Indigenous tourism businesses across the country with its COVID-19 Stimulus Development Fund. The Fund, which has been supported by the federal government via Indigenous Services Canada, was made possible by the pointed advocacy campaign by ITAC which brought forth the impacts that COVID-19 was having on the once-thriving Indigenous tourism sector.

“The impacts of COVID-19 on our Indigenous tourism sector cannot be understated,” says Keith Henry, ITAC’s President and CEO. “We are very proud to have been able to provide $766,500 to support 33 operators in Newfoundland and Labrador. Prior to 2020, Indigenous tourism was outpacing Canadian tourism activity overall but came to an almost complete standstill. The ability to not only advocate for but ultimately to step up alongside Indigenous Services Canada to provide financial support to struggling businesses is exactly what ITAC is here for. We take our responsibility for protecting and growing the Indigenous tourism industry across the country very seriously and we are proud to be able to do so now when we are needed the most.”

NLITA, one of Canada’s newest provincial Indigenous Tourism Associations, was established in early 2020 and released its 5-year strategy in February. “With the establishment of the Association and then the release of our strategy in February, we had such high expectations for Indigenous tourism growth within our province this year” Saunders said, “but what happened this year is out of our control, and we are very confident that Indigenous tourism will be key to the continued growth of Newfoundland and Labrador’s tourism sector.

As for next steps for NLITA, the organization has begun preliminary discussions with funding agencies to position itself to play a more active role in Indigenous tourism development in Newfoundland and Labrador. Their goal is to open an office sometime early in 2021 that will include an Executive Director and other support staff, while also being able to support its members through advocacy, as well as funding for marketing, product development and training.

Original Press Release

Description
In August 2020, Qalipu First Nation set aside $75,000 to provide support to community-based Indigenous groups to better support members of the Qalipu First Nation during the ongoing pandemic.

This Qalipu COVID Relief Funds provided 14 Indigenous groups on the island of Newfoundland with a means to help Qalipu members with COVID-19 initiatives. The fund provided $5,400 per organization for initiatives that directly benefited the health and well being of vulnerable populations within our membership.

Some examples of projects that were made possible with these funds include food hampers, essential travel and issuing personal protective equipment in over 25 communities.

We are pleased to announce the availability of an additional $51,000 to be allocated to community-based Indigenous groups with priority being given to those who did not receive funding on the first round.

These additional funds will provide a mechanism for grassroots Indigenous organizations on the ground in their communities to target and support vulnerable populations by aiding:

1. mental health and wellness programs,
2. personal protective equipment,
3. personal hygiene products,
4. food and
5. vulnerable population essential transportation.

Qalipu First Nation is currently accepting proposals, from organizations interested in receiving 5,400 per funding year in grant funding from the Qalipu COVID Relief Fund for projects that are up to 6 months in duration. Funding is limited so interested groups are encouraged to apply early.

Eligibility
The proposal must be submitted by an eligible organization. To qualify your organization must be an established Indigenous organization on the island of Newfoundland, in good standing with the provincial Registry of Companies, and servicing the needs of the members of the Qalipu First Nation in their area.

Proposal Assessment
Proposals will be assessed on the following criteria to determine overall quality and merit.

1. Priority

Has the Indigenous community-led group already received funding from Qalipu First Nation with the previous call for proposals? Priority will be given to new applicants, or applicants who did not receive funding during the first round.

2. Objectives

What is the purpose of the project? Organizations will need to clearly identify the goal of the project and provide a rationale as to how it will address the identified need highlighted above.

3. Vulnerable Populations

How will projects benefit seniors, youth, or other vulnerable populations in our communities?

4. Cost effectiveness

A budget outlining the project costs must accompany the proposal which supports the project activities and does not exceed the maximum allowed.

Deadline
The proposal for funding must be received no later than Friday, November 13^th, 2020 via mail or email.

Apply by email
council@qalipu.ca

Apply by Mail
Qalipu COVID Relief Fund
3 Church Street
Corner Brook, NL A2H 2Z4

Contact us
If you require any further information please feel free to contact Keith Goulding, Band Manager at kgoulding@qalipu.ca or via telephone (709) 634-1147.

On October 23, the Qalipu Development Corporation held an event to launch its new product, Waspu.  This product is a heart-healthy, Omega-3 rich, Indigenous branded seal oil capsule developed through Mi’kmaq Commercial Fisheries.  The seal oil in Waspu is derived from the traditional seal harvest off the shores of Newfoundland and Labrador and will soon be available for sale at Coleman’s across the province and can now be purchased online at mikmaqcf.com.

The launch event featured music by local Mi’kmaw musician Paul Pike, a thoughtful opening prayer and well wishes from Miawpukek Chief Mi’sel Joe, and greetings were brought by Chief Mitchell of the Qalipu First Nation, Tara Sheppard on behalf of MP Gudie Hutchings and Corner Brook City Mayor Jim Parsons.

Minister Gerry Byrne was also on hand to announce provincial support for the product.  Minister Byrne spoke on behalf of Honourable Elvis Loveless Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture announcing $25,200 in funding to help with the launch of WASPU brand seal oil capsules into the domestic market by supporting the development of social media, a website and marketing materials.

John Davis, Chief Executive Officer of the Qalipu Development Corporation, unveiled the product and shared his excitement over the launch of the corporation entering the health foods market:

 

“Mi’kmaq Commercial Fisheries is extremely happy to launch its new ‘WASPU’ brand seal oil capsule into the marketplace. We believe this First Nation branded health product will find a consumer niche not only here in the province, but in national and export markets as well. We are excited to be selling a locally sourced, indigenous branded-product here in the province through the Coleman’s grocery chain.  We are also very encouraged by the number of individuals who have already visited our new web site to order online”

 

The Qalipu Development Corporation supports the First Nation in earning its own-source revenue.  All proceeds derived from Waspu Oil are directed back to support our communities and culture.

For more information please contact john.davis@qalipudevelopment.com

Determining the correct price for your craft products will be one of the most important steps in making your business a success. Taking the time to figure out just how much it costs to make your work will not only ensure you are being paid properly, it will also give you the confidence to establish a fair price for your products in the marketplace.

Join Craft Specialist Brenda Stratton and her presentation on Craft Pricing Formulas.

Tuesday, October 20 at 7:00 PM

To Register: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LXW9HGK

Emily Critch is an artist, curator, and writer of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry from Elmastukwek, Ktaqmkuk Territory (Bay of Islands, Newfoundland). She received her BFA in Visual Arts from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland (2018) and has just begun her MFA in Criticism and Curatorial Practice with OCAD University remotely this fall. Emily has exhibited her work with Grenfell Art Gallery, Eastern Edge Gallery, The Rooms, the Hafnarfjörður Centre of Culture and Fine Art (Iceland), and she is the 2020-2021 Don Wright Scholar at St. Michael’s Printshop. Print media and textiles are intimate and labour intensive processes she uses to transform and transfer L’nu stories. The foundation of her artistic and curatorial practice is to consider the political and creative ways Indigenous People’s care for their traditions, kinships, and sovereignties through different modes of storytelling and connecting with land.

Register for the talk here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LXW9HGK

Qalipu First Nation will hold its second Annual General Assembly (AGA) to discuss the activities of the Band for the fiscal year of 2019-2020. The AGA will be held on Sunday, October 25, 2020 at 1:30 pm at the Albatross Hotel in Gander, NL

Members of the Band are invited to pre-register for the meeting if attending in person. Please be advised that attendance is limited due to COVID-19 restrictions that are currently in place. To pre-register, please call 634-5111 or email council@qalipu.ca. Pre-registration for the AGA will close at 12:00PM October 22.

The Annual Report detailing activities over the past fiscal year is online, see below. Printed copies will be available at the meeting, and at our office locations for pickup following the AGA.

View Annual Report

Melissa Peter-Paul is an experienced quill artist from Abegweit First Nation in Epekwitk (Prince Edward Island). Her training in quillwork is grounded in traditional techniques and steeped in her upbringing as a Mi’kmaw woman surrounded by a family of basket makers.

Join Melissa for her artist talk this Thursday at 7:00 PM where she will speak about her business, family, harvesting and finding balance.

Register for this free event here: www.surveymonkey.com/r/LXW9HGK