This is an update for members regarding the Service Members Agreement reached on December 22, 2022, between the Government of Canada, Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation, and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians.

The Agreement establishes criteria for accepting former and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police as Founding Members of Qalipu First Nation. Acceptance is based on the special place of honour these new members hold in Mi’kmaq culture due to their service as protectors of Canada and their communities.

Qalipu First Nation has been, and continues to be, committed to completing the process outlined in this Agreement as soon as possible. We are urging our partners to the Service Members Agreement to make every effort to allow for the immediate acceptance of the 583 members who have been recommended by the Enrolment Committee for approval as Founding Members of Qalipu First Nation.

Both past and current QFN Chiefs and Councils have consistently expressed their desire to complete the enrolment process as quickly as possible and have been working diligently on this matter.

“As Mi’kmaq people, we have always honoured those who dedicate their lives to protecting our communities. We remain steadfast in our commitment to seeing this process through and urge our partners to act swiftly so that the 583 recommended members can be accepted without further delay,” states QFN Chief Jenny Brake.

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A letter called Incomplete Submission. was sent on May 15, 2023 to those applicants who provided their documentation with missing or incomplete information:

• the Declaration form;
• signature on the Declaration form;
• signature on the Acknowledgement and Release;
• witness signature on the Acknowledgement and Release;
• proof of service;
• a certified true copy stamp on the proof of service

The applicants receiving this letter will have 30 days to provide their documents and correct the missing or incomplete information, sent to this address:

Enrolment Committee
Indigenous Services Canada
Box 9100
Winnipeg MB R3C 0M9

Your response must be postmarked no later than June 15, 2023.

If you don’t respond by that date, the Enrolment Committee or the Appeal Master will not consider your application further. The existing decision of the Enrolment Committee to reject your application for founding membership will remain in effect.

Click here for the Service Members Agreement – Questions & Answers

Read on for all the details as shared on the Indigenous Services Canada website.

Former and current members of the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Context

A service members agreement was developed by the Government of Canada, Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians to establish criteria for accepting former and current members of the CAF and the RCMP as Qalipu founding members based on the special place of honour they hold in the Mi’kmaw culture due to their service as protectors of Canada and their communities. The agreement applies to persons who were part of the enrolment process between 2008 and 2012 but were denied founding membership based on the group acceptance criterion.

Opportunity

The agreement applies to persons who had founding membership under the 2008 agreement and who, on September 22, 2011, were or had been:

• officers or non-commissioned members of the CAF serving in the Regular Force or the Primary Reserve after completing basic training, including those honourably released

or

• serving in the Canadian Rangers, including those honourably released

or

• police officers of the RCMP, including special constables and reservists appointed pursuant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, excluding those dismissed with cause

and

• applicants for founding membership under the 2008 agreement

Those persons will now be eligible to submit documentation proving their service so as to meet the group acceptance criterion. Applicants will still need to meet the self-identification criterion, the connection to a pre-Confederation Mi’kmaq community criterion and the Canadian Indian ancestry criterion, as set out in the 2008 agreement and the supplemental agreement.

Process

Persons denied under the group acceptance criterion can expect to get a letter in January 2023. They will have 45 days from the date of the letter to provide the required documents. The only documents accepted will be those proving service in one of the groups listed under Opportunity. Applicants may want to reach out to the CAF or the RCMP to obtain documents proving their service. The documents provided will be sent to the enrolment committee for assessment and decision. Decisions will be communicated in the summer of 2023 and will provide information on next steps.

Note that if an applicant’s Canadian Indian ancestry was not assessed previously, it will be reviewed from their original application package.