Band Members, general public and invited guests attended the Benoit 1st nation Annual Assembly and Mi’kmaw Centre Grand opening which was a cultural gathering and celebration that took place on Sunday, Oct 30, 2016 at 2:00 pm at the Mi’kmaw Centre in Degrau, NL

The event began with a Smudging/ Blessing of the building and the attendees with sage and sweet grass by our Spiritual Advisor Terry Muise.

This was followed by the blessing of the Spirit Wind Community Drum and then the Welcoming song and the Gathering Song.

Rev Patry of the RC Parish of Our Lady of the Cape said read a statement and blessed for the Centre and this was followed by the cutting of the red ribbon signifying the Official opening of the Centre along with the carrying of the Community flag and the Mi’kmaq Nation Flag by Elders Godfrey Benoit and Jerome Benoit.

This event marks the 1st Mi’kmaw Cultural Centre for this region and was very much needed to help the local Mi’kmaq population immerse themselves in traditions, heritage, cultural activities, drumming and language.

Then drumming of the Feast Song followed by a feast, cake cutting and more feasting with snacks, treats and finger foods.

The Benoit 1st Nation Annual Financial Report was handed out to all band members.

The event closed off with the Travellers song followed by a group photo.

The event was hosted by the Benoit 1st Nation Women’s Council who did a beautiful job with the celebrations.

Office and Retail Space for Rent in Stephenville

Location: 90 Main Street

You won’t find another place like this!  Centrally located near all local amenities on Stephenville’s bustling Main Street, our fairly-priced rental space is full of possibilities for the setup of your office or small business.   A total of 3,700-square feet is available which can be subdivided to meet your space requirements and there are also move-in ready spaces available.

Features:

• 22 offices
• Common area
• Kitchen
• Flexible lease options
• Lessor can renovate to suit your needs
• On-site facility manager

For more information or to arrange a viewing, please contact Rob Dicks at 643-6895 (9:00 AM-4:00 PM) or 660-4691 (after business hours).

Program Description

The Qalipu Linkages Program is a youth employment program funded by the Department of Advanced Education and Skills.  The program provides participating youth with a 26-week career-related local job placement combined with regular workshops on employment skill-building topics.  After a week of orientation, participants will conduct their own job search to find a placement that suits their skills and interests.  Upon completion of the program, participants will earn a “completion bonus” to support their future career and education goals.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Linkages program, participants must:

• Be a registered member of the QMFNB between the ages of 18 to 30;
• Be able to provide own transportation for employment and workshops in the Corner Brook area;
• Be non-EI eligible and have limited work experience (currently not receiving Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and have not received EI benefits within the last 3 years; or have not received EI maternity/parental benefits within the last five years);
• Have completed a minimum of level II high school, and have NOT completed post-secondary training. If an applicant has not completed high school or equivalent, they must be out of school for a minimum of six months prior to applying to the program.

How to apply

To apply to the Qalipu Linkages Program, please submit a resume or cover letter by mail, in person, or via e-mail to:

Work Force Qalipu
Attention: Vickie MacDonald
3 Church St
Corner Brook, NL
A2H 2Z4
vmacdonald@qalipu.ca

Deadline to apply:  November 10^th, 2016

A regular meeting of the Qalipu Chief and Council will take place on December 3, 2016 starting at 10:00 am in the Qalipu Community Room at 1 Church Street, Corner Brook.  This meeting is open to all members of the Qalipu First Nation.  We request that members preregister if possible to allow us to plan for seating and refreshments.  Please note that you will be asked to sign in at the meeting and present your registration card or letter.

To preregister please contact Mabel MacDonald at 634-5111 or email mmacdonald@qalipu.ca by November 30.

Floating About is the title of the latest donation of artwork received by the Qalipu Cultural Foundation in support of their upcoming Annual Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction set to take place this October 22 at Jennifer’s Restaurant in Corner Brook.  The donation was made by local Mi’kmaw artist Marcus Gosse who said that this original piece, in acrylic and oil, is part of “The Mi’kmaq Utopia Collection.”

“What I’m getting at in this collection is the iceberg analogy as it relates to culture.  The tip of the iceberg represents that small bit of a person that is apparent at the surface.  What people see.  Under the surface however, there’s much more than meets the eye.”

Gosse was referring to the habits, assumptions, understandings, values and the depth that makes up who we are as the Mi’kmaq people of the province.  He said “you have to dig deeper to get to know a person and their culture.”

Marcus, and his wife Nona Matthews Gosse, plan on attending the Ke’tipnemk fundraiser and hope that the painting, along with several other donations made by Gosse, will bring in a good price to put towards the mandate of the Qalipu Cultural Foundation.

The Qalipu Cultural Foundation was formed in 2014 to support Mi’kmaq culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.  It exists to ensure cultural documentation, and promote the involvement of youth and elders in cultural activities within the band.   They strive to inspire the people to proudly embrace their heritage, to empower them to continue the traditions of the ancestors and restore the spirit of Mi’kmaq culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Tickets for the Ke’tipnemk Fundraiser are now on sale.  Please contact reception at Qalipu’s main office in Corner Brook at 634-0996 to get yours.

 

Note: Also coming up in October for Mi’kmaq Heritage Month, artists Marcus Gosse and Scott Butt will prepare an exhibition at the Arts and Culture Centre in Stephenville titled “Expressions of Qalipu Land”.  The show opens on October 1 at 7:00 PM.  The first 25 visitors will receive a print from The Mi’kmaq Utopia Collection titled Finding my Way.

 

2016 was a special year for the Newfoundland and Labrador Summer Games this past August 13-21: It marked the first time, anywhere in Canada, that a province invited indigenous nations to enter their own teams.  Qalipu First Nation and Miawpukek First Nation combined their athletes to form Team Mi’kmaq.  Teams were also entered by the Innu Nation, Nunatsiavut and NunaKavut.

Jerry Wetzel, Chair of the Aboriginal Sport and Recreation Circle whose organization negotiated with the province to invite indigenous nations to put their teams into the games, spoke highly of the experience, and the athletic abilities and competitiveness of our Mi’kmaq athletes.

“Team Mi’kmaq had male and female athletes competing in Beach Volleyball and track & field (Athletics) events.  The girls beach volleyball team were 2 and 2 in the round robin.  They made the quarter finals, but lost in a tie breaking match with the team from Conception Bay South, the team that eventually won gold.  Our girls were younger than the other teams that played but, showed their athletic abilities and persistence in all of their games.  The boys’ volleyball team, with one member of the team only 12 years old, held their own against older and taller teams.  In Athletics, our one-man team (Spencer Hewitt) finished 5th in the shot-put, 6th in the 200 metre run, and 5th in the 100 metre run.”

A number of volunteers stepped up to coach Team Mi’kmaq.  Special thanks go out to Dean Simon (Athletics coach), Ben Rogers (Girls Beach Volleyball), and Cohen Chalk (Boys Beach Volleyball).  We also acknowledge Fintan Gaudet, a Qalipu member, and the vice president of Volleyball Newfoundland who was responsible for the training of Team Mi’kmaq Beach Volleyball.

This was good first step toward greater inclusion of indigenous peoples in the games.  Wetzel noted he is looking forward to an invitation to the Winter Games in 2018, and maybe even the North American Indigenous Games in Toronto in 2017

Keep an eye on Qalipu.ca for future games and your chance to learn about future tryouts, and coaching opportunities.

Good Day,

The Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network is currently engaged in a project called “Collaborating to Advance the Financial Preparedness of Women- A New Path”.

During the initial stages of this project, through focus groups and survey results, we recognized the need to bring awareness and knowledge towards budgeting and savings.  To address these barriers we have developed a fun interactive workshop to get you thinking about budgeting and ways to save.  The workshop is called “The Money Wise Game.”  The purpose is to allow the opportunity to experience, in a fun relaxed atmosphere, what it is like to live in a particular family situation that is common in our communities and plan a monthly budget with the money you receive to match you scenario.

Over the next five months we will be hosting 9 “Money Wise” workshops in various communities throughout the Bay St. George and Corner Brook area.  The workshops will be 4 hours in length and a meal will be provided. Childcare and transportation may be covered for those who qualify.  If you would like to take part in this workshop or for more information please contact Leanne Pieroway at (709) 643 – 4563 or by email at leannepieroway@gmail.com.

Thank you in advance for your interest and support.

Leanne Pieroway
Program Manager

A regular meeting of the Qalipu Chief and Council will take place on August 27, 2016 starting at 9:00 am in the Qalipu Community Room at 1 Church Street, Corner Brook.  This meeting is open to all members of the Qalipu First Nation.  We request that members preregister if possible to allow us to plan for seating and refreshments.  Please note that you will be asked to sign in at the meeting and present your registration card or letter.

To preregister please contact Mabel MacDonald at 634-5111 or email mmacdonald@qalipu.ca by August 24^th.

August 8, 2016, Corner Brook—The Qalipu Cultural Foundation is preparing for its annual fundraising event, the Ke’tipnemk (harvest) Dinner and Silent Auction, set to take place at Jennifer’s Restaurant in Corner Brook on October 22.

In 2015, the inaugural event featured more than 50 pieces of treasured artwork donated by indigenous artists from around the province.  Their generous donations, along with ticket sales and sponsorship from business and individuals, raised more than $15,000 to support Mi’kmaq culture in Newfoundland and Labrador. The Foundation is looking forward to another successful event and is pleased to share the first gift of artwork , “My Strength, My Protector”, donated to auction at this years’ gala by Joanne Bennett.

The piece, in ink on rice paper, depicts a spirit bear with twenty eight hidden aspects of the Mi’kmaq culture.  Bennett says muin, or the bear, is an important animal in Mi’kmaq culture.  She said, “The bear protects us and teaches us to be strong, to stand against adversity, and to take action when necessary.  The bear also teaches us the value of solitude and the power of healing that can be found in those restful quiet moments alone.”

Bennett, a member of the Qalipu First Nation and the Corner Brook Aboriginal Women’s Association, noted that she was pleased to share her artwork and help raise funds for a good cause.  “I am proud to be a Mi’kmaw, and I feel that it is important to share our culture with each other, and with others.  The Qalipu Cultural Foundation has been doing great work and I’m happy to support that.”

Mitch Blanchard, Resource Coordinator for the Band, said that he expects tickets to sell out fast.  “Last year we had to turn people away as we ran out of tickets.  We anticipate a similar level of interest and participation this year.  Who knows, we may have to move to a larger venue in the future.”

To purchase tickets for the Ke’tipnemk Dinner, please contact reception at Qalipu’s main office in Corner Brook at 634-0996

The Qalipu Cultural Foundation was formed in 2014 to support Mi’kmaq culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.  It exists to ensure cultural documentation, and promote the involvement of youth and elders in cultural activities within the band.   They strive to inspire the people to proudly embrace their heritage, to empower them to continue the traditions of the ancestors and restore the spirit of Mi’kmaq culture in Newfoundland and Labrador.