A regular meeting of the Qalipu Chief and Council took place on November 18, 2017 at the Community Room in Corner Brook.  Below is a summary of the discussion that took place regarding the establishment of an Elder Advisory Council.

Other Nations, including Miawpukek First Nation, has an Elder Advisory Council.  Qalipu recognizes the value of having such an established group.

A draft Terms of Reference was written and shared with Council prior to the meeting

More than 40 names were submitted when Council put out a call for recommendations.  Ward Councilors submitted names that they had received, and members of the Executive (Chief and Vice Chiefs) submitted names as well.

The Terms of Reference outlines the purpose, mission, values and ways of working for this soon to be established Council.  Membership on the Elder Council will be based on inclusion of “anyone who is sought after and recognized for their wisdom, knowledge, and caring for humanity within their communities.”

Some of the roles of the Elder Council will be to give direction, request full disclosure about matters and issues in order to give informed direction/advice, sit on committees as requested, assist Chief and Council with making important decisions that impact our Mi’kmaq communities and build relationships and exchange knowledge with Elders from other areas.

Chief expressed the desire to make a shortened list of Elders who can make up this Council, and asked Council how they thought this should be structured.

He asked, “How big do you think this group should be, for function?”

One Councilor suggested that we have so much difficulty moving forward with the nine people we have at the table, that establishing this Council may further delay our ability to move forward.

Several Councilors suggested that if we are looking at putting an Elder Council together, we should stick to a guideline of not anymore than five or six people. This can’t be done with 40 + people.

Another Councilor spoke to the fact that there are nine Wards, and all Wards should be represented.  It would make the group larger than ideal, but all areas would be represented.  The Councilor also suggested that the community should determine the person, not Council.

A Councilor responded that this list of names was submitted by the people in our communities.  What the Council is attempting to do is shorten the list.

Another member of Council suggested that we keep the group small, maybe have regional representation.

Most Councilors agreed that keeping the group size small would be best.

Another issue was that for Wards representing several distinct and separate communities, maybe its time to engage an individual from a community that is not typically recognized.

One Councilor said that “in the Newfoundland context, our culture was so underground.  If we look to Nova Scotia and other provinces whose culture has not been underground, their Terms of Reference on Elders would include a lifetime of their culture not being underground.  The kind of Elder you meet in Nova Scotia, we don’t have many people like that here.  Some of the people submitted on this list, are they really Elders?”

A discussion on what defines an Elder in this process followed:

• Knowledge keeper
• Acknowledged, and accepted in the community as having wisdom, life experience and understanding of our culture and teachings.
• Someone that carries the traditional knowledge that has been involved in the Mi’kmaq way of life for many years.
• Someone who can conduct ceremonies
• A life-long learning knowledge.
• A community leader
• Someone who is giving of their time and gifts

 

An idea that came forward was how to include the entire group of people whose names were put forward.  Maybe a retreat, and other ways to get together as teaching and learning opportunities.

A member of Council spoke to the seriousness of being an Elder.  It is an important role that comes with self-sacrifice.

All requests for registration under the Indian Act in the Qalipu First Nation will be processed by the Winnipeg Processing Unit.  The Winnipeg Processing Unit will review all applications and:

• Register individuals that are currently entitled as the child of a Founding Member who will retain an entitlement after the new Founding Members list is passed through an Order in Council in the Spring of 2018; and
• Place on hold any files where entitlement cannot be determined past spring 2018 (where parent may not retain Founding Membership) and notify the applicant as such.

Please note, Charmaine Bath, Qalipu’s Indian Registration Administrator, is on hand to assist with completing the application form and ensuring that all necessary documentation is included in your application package.  For assistance, please contact Charmaine at (709) 679-2142, or toll free (within Newfoundland only) at 1-855-263-6440 or email cbath@qalipu.ca

Qalipu is on a working group with Grenfell Campus, Memorial University, to establish a Qalipu Bachelor of Education (Intermediate/Secondary) Program to be offered at the Grenfell Campus in Corner Brook. This new QBED program will integrate Indigenous Knowledge, culture and beliefs into the program. During the initial stages we are looking to generate interest from members through the attached “Expression of Interest” form.

 

If you would be interested in this program, please take the time to complete the Expression of Interest attached here.

Qalipu elections are governed by a legal document called the Custom Rules Governing Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation Band Elections.  This guiding document was developed in 2011 when the Qalipu Band was recognized as an Indian Act Band.  The Custom Rules is now a codified legal document that was ratified by the people through majority vote.  For more on how our election works via the Custom Rules, please visit our website.

Following the election in 2015, Qalipu   realized several issues that need to be resolved to make our elections more effective in the future.   For instance, some voters reported arriving at their polling station to find that they had been incorrectly listed in a different voting location.  Others found that the distance they had to travel to their designated poll was unreasonable, and many people thought the time frame on returning mail-in ballots was too short.  The 2015 election also saw a low voter turnout (approximately 25%) and this is something else that can be improved upon.

An Election Reform Committee made up of three Councilors, three staff members and one deputy returning officer from the last election, was brought together to begin addressing these issues, and to explore election improvements, including changes to the Custom Rules.  It is important to note that any change to the Custom Rules requires ratification (approval by vote) from the membership.  For instance, to change voting procedure to include the option for online voting, or to make the election    entirely mail-in (no polls), a ratification vote would need to take place.  The ideal time to present changes like this for voting by membership is during the next election.

The Election Reform Committee has proposed changes to the Custom Rules, and voters can expect to hear more on those changes which will be presented to them for approval during the next election.  Membership will also be asked for their input via a survey that will be placed on our website, and sent out to the Elders Mailout list.  Hard copies of the survey will also be made available at our office locations and at Ward meetings.  The intent of the survey will be to determine membership preference on how they would like to vote; online only, mail-in only, a combination of both, or maintain the current way of voting, for instance.

Can our elections be improved before the membership votes on it?

Yes.  While major changes to the Custom Rules require ratification votes, there are efficiencies that the Committee has found that fit within the parameters of the current rules and, by implementing them, some of the issues experienced during the last election will be resolved.  For instance, the timeline of the entire election will be drawn out.  By starting the process earlier, all elements of the Election will be less rushed.  This will include making mail-in ballot applications available sooner and giving voters more time to get them in.

The Committee will also communicate often, well in advance of the Election itself, to ensure that voters are engaged and aware of the process.

As a voter, you can help make the Election run more smoothly as well.

By logging into your ginu membership profile, you can confirm that you are listed in the correct Electoral Ward.  The Ward listed under “Electoral Ward” under the Mailing Address tab determines where you will be eligible to vote.  Other information that you should verify includes: ensure a valid email address is listed for you (most of our communications, both during elections and throughout the year, come through email); and, ensure your current mailing address and phone number are listed.

Why not take a look to ensure that the information on your profile is accurate? If you need help logging in to ginu, please call Charmaine Bath at 1-855-263-6440.

Questions or comments? Please email the committee through the Communications Officer at awhite@qalipu.ca

Qalipu First Nation will be conducting interviews in Corner Brook from November 20th to January 8th. The purpose of these interviews is to gather information from Qalipu members about their experiences on the land. Topics will include hunting, fishing, gathering, farming and camping.

To participate in an interview, individuals must be Qalipu Band members and at least 18 years of age.

If you would like to participate in this study, please contact Sara Leah Hindy, project coordinator, at shindy@qalipu.ca or call (709) 634-9653.

Dates:
November 20th – January 8th

Location:
Qalipu First Nation 3 Church Street Corner Brook, NL

Office Hours:
Interviews are conducted during office hours
9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

The next regular meeting of Council will be held on Nov 18, 9:00 am  in Corner Brook at the Qalipu Community Room.  To register please contact Mabel MacDonald at 634-5111 or email mmacdonald@qalipu.ca

The  general public is cordially invited to attend a Talking Circle on  “The State of the Waters and Pollution Concerns in the Port au Port – Bay St. George Region.” The event will  be held at the Port au Port East Town Hall starting 7 pm on Sunday, November 12th, 2017.

A Talking Circle is a traditional way used by first nations to solve problems and is very effective in removing barriers and allowing  people to freely express themselves.  It provides a means for people to connect and search for new directions,  make amends, right the wrongs and establish new pathways for tomorrow.

As Indigenous peoples, First Nations recognize the sacredness of water, the interconnectedness of all life and the importance of protecting water from pollution, drought and waste.

This Circle will be facilitated by Mi’kmaq cultural leaders and is supported by Qalipu First Nation, traditional Mi’kmaq people and the Port au Port Bay Fishery Committee.

A special invitation to attend and participate in this event is extended to the general public and municipal, provincial and federal government representatives.

For further information please contact:

Bill O’Gorman
Chair of the Port au Port Bay Fishery Committee
Phone:  709 642 5715, Cell 709 649 2174, Email: billogorman1948@outlook.com

Alison White
Communications Officer, Qalipu First Nation
Phone: 709 634 5163, Email: awhite@qalipu.dca

Kenny Bennett
Mi’kmaq Cultural Leader
Phone: 709 214 1102, Email: kwb1@eastlink.ca

The Qalipu Cultural Foundation is seeking a local snow shoe maker(s) to deliver workshops in Central Newfoundland this fall/winter.  Sessions will ideally be delivered in one, 2-hour class, per week.  All required materials will be provided, and the teacher will receive a per diem for their time.  Up to 16 participants will register for the class, free of charge.

Experience teaching, sharing and crafting snow shoes, as well as knowledge of the cultural history of snow shoe making and use, is preferred.  Style of snow shoe to be determined by crafters skill set.

If you, or someone you know, is interested in delivering a 4-8-week long snowshoe making workshop in the Gander and Badger area, please contact Mitch Blanchard at mblanchard@qalipu.ca