The next meeting of Chief and Council is scheduled for Saturday, March 23, 2024, at 9:00 am in the Qalipu Community Room, 1 Church Street. Registration is required to attend the meeting.

Members wishing to attend can contact Natasha by telephone at 709-634-6895 or by email: nlavers@qalipu.ca. Members can view the meeting’s livestream by logging on to their KINU membership profile: https://mala.qalipu.ca/ginu/login.aspx

L-R (front) Yvonne Jones, Member of the House of Commons representing Labrador, Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development, Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Interim Chief Jenny Brake, Dion Dakins, CEO Carino, Kendra MacDonald from the Oceans Supercluster (back) Kendall Flood, CEO Ár n-oileán Resources Ltd. and Darren Halloran CEO Always in Vogue

January 17, 2024 – St. John’s

Interim Chief Jenny Brake attended a Seal Roundtable Discussion with the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, the new Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, along with other stakeholders with an interest in the sealing industry.

At the roundtable, Interim Chief Brake spoke about the traditional, sustainable, and responsible practices of seal harvesting by Indigenous communities, and the importance of collaboration to grow the seal industry and expand domestic and international markets.

“We see the imbalance in the ecosystem right now.  We have a vested interest in this and we’re not alone.  Other Indigenous groups not only provincially but nationally share the view that we need to bring balance back to the ecosystem.”

One way to do this is to make the hunt more accessible and expand markets to allow the sale of seal products.

Qalipu Holdings Ltd., the band’s business development arm, sells Waspu Omega 3 seal oil capsules.  The popular and sustainably sourced product is known for promoting heart health, decreasing inflammation in the body, and promoting fetal brain development, among other things.  Interim Chief Brake noted that this resource is just one of many valuable seal products that should be made available to world markets.

“Other countries are at a deficit for protein and omega 3’s.  We have those resources, and we need to be able to export them to international markets.”

Interim Chief Brake felt encouraged by the meeting with Minister Lebouthillier and confident that she will be a strong advocate representing the interests of Indigenous communities.

“I could see her sincerity.  There’s a real determination and a commitment from her to move forward with this.  I really feel that this Minister is going to impact change.”

It is our collective responsibility to approach this issue with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Qalipu First Nation urges Government to foster a dialogue that includes Indigenous voices. By doing this we can create a future with policies that respect both the environment and the rights and traditions of all Indigenous communities.

Friday, January 12 Interim Chief Jenny Brake attended Corner Brook Intermediate to present Naoise White, 2023 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation Logo Contest winner with her prize. In addition to her $250 prize, Naoise also received a bag of cultural supplies, a donation was also made to the school’s lunch program. Principle Peter Burt (pictured L) received the donation, alongside contest winner Naoise White (C) and Qalipu First Nation Interim Chief Jenny Brake (R).

Attend in Person

Program Update: We are grateful for the tremendous interest in our Mi’kmaw Language Beginner Classes. The registration period for this series is now closed. The team is working to contact those who have been selected. 

We’re pleased to share that students can soon return to the classroom to continue their Mi’kmaw language learning journey! Classes will take place on Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 PM at the College of the North Atlantic in Stephenville (registration required).

Mi’kmaw Language Facilitator Shane Snook is excited to get going and noted that students can expect a fun and relaxed learning environment.

“These reading and writing classes will be relaxed and comfortable.  In my experience, a casual and playful approach works well to keep people interested and engaged, and people must be comfortable so that they’re willing to speak and practice out loud.”

The classes will focus on the Smith-Francis orthography so that learners will be equipped with a powerful tool for self-learning and practicing.  Shane added that he will focus on pronunciation to encourage students to speak and develop muscle memory.

“Pronunciation will help people become more confident in trying to speak out loud to develop that muscle memory.  Reading in the mind doesn’t go very far.  I also hope to share tidbits about words and phrases as they arise to help demonstrate some of the interesting nuances of culture and history.”

Classes will begin on February 1, and run every Thursday up to and including March 21.

For more information, please contact Shane at ssnook@qalipu.ca

Participation Details:
To register to attend classes in person, please complete this form: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/N3XLNQM

Purpose

Qalipu First Nation is seeking applications from organizations who are interested in our Youth Summer Employment Program (YSEP).

Background

Education & Training administers a number of education, training and employment initiatives. One of these initiatives is the Youth Summer Employment Program (YSEP). The YSEP has been in existence for over 10 (ten) years and was introduced by the Federation of Newfoundland Indians under a funding arrangement with Service Canada. This program has been successful in improving employability skills of Aboriginal youth that will assist them to succeed in the workforce. Additionally, students are provided with tools that will help them advance their education.

Responsibilities

The Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band will be responsible for the financial management of the student. Any expenses over and above wages and MERC costs will be the responsibility of the organization. If approved, the organization will be responsible for the following:

• Recruiting and selecting a student that meets all of the eligibility criteria and ensuring the student accurately completes the student application and all necessary documentation is submitted to Qalipu First Nation;
• Ensuring student completes a Qalipu Employee Information Form and Banking Information Form before employment begins;
• Qalipu First Nation is responsible for minimum wage and MERC. Any expenses above this are the responsibility of the employer;
• Providing adequate supervision to the student and ensuring a safe work environment;
• Providing any tools or materials;
• Providing any necessary training;
• Providing weekly time sheets (due each Monday at noon);
• Providing weekly reports consisting of but not limited to: the student’s day-to-day activities and an overview of the student’s performance; and,
• Ensuring the summer student completes a survey during the last week of their employment.

Eligibility

To be eligible for summer employment through the ISETP Youth Program, a student:

• Must be between the ages of 15 and 29 (inclusive);
• Must be planning to return to full-time studies in September of the current year
• Must have been registered as a full-time student in the previous academic year; and
• Be a member of the Qalipu First Nation or Self-Identified Indigenous Person (students are asked to indicate on their cover letter their Indigenous Ancestry)

Submission

Please apply as soon as possible but no later than 12:00 P.M. the first Friday of April each year. To apply, you must fill out the YSEP Employer Application. You must also include a letter of how a summer student would be beneficial to your organization and the community. Applications can be found by clicking here

Please direct inquiries and applications to:

Education & Training Attention:
Yvonne MacDonald

PO Box 460

St. George’s, NL

A0N 1Z0

E-mail: ymacdonald@qalipu.ca

Telephone: 1-709-647-3514

Application Evaluation and Selection Process

Qalipu First Nation will target students living in each of the nine (9) wards: Benoit’s Cove, Corner Brook, Exploits, Flat Bay, Gander Bay, Glenwood, Port au Port, Stephenville and St. George’s.

Applications received by closing time will be screened for completeness. Qalipu First Nation reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine whether or not any proposal is complete. If your organization requires more than one (1) summer student, please indicate so under additional information if the job title, description, hourly wage, weekly hours and number of weeks are the same. If you’re seeking more than one (1) student for different positions, you will need to provide an application for each position.

Approvals should be finalized by the end of April . Successful organizations will be notified the following week; however, approvals may continue into June and early July to fill declines. Organizations will then be given until noon on the third Friday of May to recruit and select a student. Student application forms, student resumes and cover letter and student’s confirmation of full-time studies must be received by 4:00 P.M. on the last Friday of May. If more time is needed, please advise Qalipu First Nation immediately. If an approved student declines a placement or terminates early, the organization must notify Education & Training immediately. The organization may NOT fill the position with another student unless granted approval by Qalipu First Nation.