Phyllis Webstad was the little girl who had her orange shirt taken away from her on her first day of residential school. Who would have thought that this traumatic experience would lead her to become the founder and ambassador of the Orange Shirt Society?

The Orange Shirt Day movement and Phyllis’ message of love and hope that “Every Child Matters,” began in 2013 and a National day to recognize the impact of the Canadian Indian residential school system was implemented on September 30, 2021. This day became known as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada.

Judy Falle (Client Intake Officer with QFN) recently published her children’s Indigenous book, “Poppa and His Drum”. The book explores the topic of Truth and Reconciliation from a local perspective. Throughout her creative process and the publication of the book, Judy sought guidance and support from Phyllis Webstad. This friendship and collaboration inspired Judy to meet Phyllis in person and bring her positive message of love to our community so she partnered with local organizations to host a visit.

After much planning and preparation, Phyllis will visit Newfoundland next week to meet with community members including several school visits.

Let’s show our community support by filling the Lion’s Club and welcoming Phyllis next Friday evening in Stephenville from 6:00-8:00 pm.

Thank you to Judy and her partners for working together to host this wonderful visit.

Partners: Newfoundland Aboriginal Women’s Network, People of the Dawn Indigenous Friendship Centre, Mi’kmaw Cultural Foundation, and Ulnooweg.

Interim Chief Jenny Brake and Band Manager Charles Pender were in Germany this week to represent Qalipu First Nation’s priorities and expectations as a key stakeholder among international interests in the development of clean hydrogen energy.   Other stakeholders included Canadian and German government officials, European offtakers (industrial clean fuel customers), First Nations leadership from Atlantic Canada, and Canadian renewable energy project developers.

Events included a workshop hosted by the Canadian German Chamber of Industry in Hamburg on March 18 and a conference hosted by the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) on March 19-20 in Berlin.  Important conversations and collaborations took place at these sessions and helped expand reach and opportunities for Qalipu First Nation.

Chief Brake and Charles Pender shared feedback on their participation in a session at the BETD conference entitled “Community Engagement and Indigenous Knowledge as Underestimated Resources in the Energy Transition”.  They participated alongside Traditional Chief, Ktaqmkuk, Mi’sel Joe, and Rose Paul, CEO of Bayside Development Corporation (Paq’tnkek Mi’kmaw Nation), who was a speaker on the panel.

“We were excited to be at this session today and feel fortunate to bring these important conversations back to our communities. We were especially proud that Rose Paul was here to share the Mi’kmaw voice from Atlantic Canada. As we say, ‘nothing about us, without us,’ and she was here in Germany to share that message.

Chief Brake also joined Chief Joe at an important Ministerial-CEO roundtable meeting that offered a unique and timely opportunity for Qalipu First Nation to have a direct voice at the table in an intimate setting, alongside Minister Wilkinson and Vice-Chancellor Habeck.

Chief Brake added, “To ensure Indigenous perspectives remain a focal point in resource exploration, we need to be here; speak with project proponents, and governments, and share our voice. We are offered a seat at the table alongside Minister Wilkinson and Vice-Chancellor Habeck and that demonstrates their commitment to respecting our communities.”

As interest in the utilization of environmental resources has increased, the need for land monitorship became evident. Qalipu First Nation’s Department of Environment and Natural Resources launched a Land Monitor Program in the fall of 2023. The Department has a long history with their Fishery Guardian Program working to protect local waterways, so it was a natural progression to ensure natural resource protection was the focus of any land development, particularly in the Central region of the province that has seen a rapid expansion of wind energy development and mining. The goal of guardianship is to protect the environment that holds reverence in our ancestral traditions. Land monitors use a combination of traditional and modern scientific exploration to not only protect the environment but also to participate in vital preservation research undertaken by the Department.

The site of the inaugural Land Monitor Program undertaken by Qalipu was Charlie’s Place, nestled between the Southwest and Northwest Gander Rivers, it has been a cultural beacon in its neighboring communities for generations. Qalipu First Nation Council has been working to establish the area as an Indigenous protected area for several months, bolstered by support from band member and Land monitor, Justin Hodge. Justin was joined by Dean Gillingham to maintain guardianship of Charlie’s Place during the Fall of 2023.

The 2023 Land Monitor Program was a resounding success supported by many fellow land monitors, environmental researchers, including Natural Resources Canada, and corporate partner Teck Resources Limited, which supported the program via a financial contribution. The work helps to build on Environment Canada’s knowledge base regarding the biodiversity and significance of the area. Working closely with these partners has demonstrated the value of collaboration between government entities, industry, and Indigenous peoples to share knowledge and protect sacred environmental resources. Based on the success of last year’s work, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources hopes to expand into the western region, and to make this program a permanent part of their operations.

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