Recently, a cabin owner posted a sign saying “This is not Qalipu Land or Micmac Land. This land belongs to the public the people to use and enjoy public land”.

Firstly, I’d like to correct a few things about the statement; Qalipu Land or Micmac Land. We are Mi’kmaq, not Micmac. Micmac is the colonial use of the word Mi’kmaq. I also have heard statements like, “Are you a Qalipu”. That answer is no. We are not Qalipu, we are Mi’kmaq people that are members of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band and as Mi’kmaq people, we have an inherent right to the land as we have never agreed to give them up.

This sign and bold statement certainly stirred up conversation amongst many members of our community, Indigenous and non-indigenous because frankly, this was one of the most blatant acts of ignorance and discrimination we’ve seen since the English showed up and claimed our land for themselves.

These days we hear Land Acknowledgements in many rooms, honouring the Unceded, Unsurrendered Ancestral Land of the Indigenous people of Ktaqmkuk or what we now know as Newfoundland.  Prior to provincial borders, we referred to this place as Mi’kma’ki, which spreads across the Atlantic provinces, Quebec and into areas of nearby states.  Our traditional government was and still is the Mi’kmaq Grand Council.  Our way of life as Indigenous people was deeply impacted by colonization and our fight to protect and preserve our knowledge continues as we are determined to thrive for generations to come.

In a time when our current Government is taking ownership for the harm caused by colonization, we are slowly seeing actions toward Truth and Reconciliation.  One mechanism that exists is The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) which aims to promote respect for the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples.  It is a directive that our Federal Government has adopted that requires measures be taken to ensure that federal laws are consistent with the Declaration.

To create a healthy society, we all, Indigenous and non-indigenous, have the personal responsibility to educate ourselves on issues to avoid making statements that can potentially cause this type of harm. Regardless of who “owns” land, whether it be Crown or private, the reality is, lands were never surrendered.

The very least we can do as occupants of this place is to care for it, not by causing division but by considering our dark history and learning from it, to acknowledge the harm of past and not repeat it.

We have a lot of work to do, and much to learn. Let’s all do our part.

Relevant Links:

United Nations Declaration on the Right of Indigenous Peoples: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf

Atlantic Policy Congress of First Nations Chiefs Secretariat: https://www.apcfnc.ca/

Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action: https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801

As Indigenous people of this island, we have responsibilities to preserve and protect our culture. This also means we must protect and respect one another. It is my belief that Qalipu First Nation has a great responsibility to set an example of this by ensuring policies exist to protect our staff.

During my time as an employee of Qalipu First Nation and then again in my first term of council, there were internal issues that arose that were difficult to navigate. Having experienced these issues firsthand, I felt compelled to encourage us all to take a closer look.

The role of Council is to listen to the needs of community and administration by implementing measures that can effectively improve workplace safety and overall operations of the band. By doing so, we provide staff with a productive workplace that best serves our community. This work is ever changing, it is our responsibility to monitor and respond when the need for improvement arises.

With the assistance of external experts, we have been conducting a full review of our policies because we believe that to best serve our community, we must uphold each other to a standard that allows us all to come to work each day with the confidence and comfort required to best do our jobs, understanding that we are all accountable for our actions.

This work is not limited to human resources, it extends to all areas including financial management. Qalipu First Nation has one of the lowest financial risk ratings in Canada according to Indigenous Services Canada because of our responsible compliance and accountability. We are members of the First Nation Financial Management Board and follow extremely strict guidelines to maintain that certification.

We are committed to accountability and are determined to overcome any obstacles along the way to ensure our members, council and staff are confident in our ability to achieve our goals. It is an honour to work for you and for our future generations.