Last week in the Senate, during discussions regarding amendments to Bill S-2, Senator Judy White questioned the legitimacy of Qalipu First Nation members, remarks that are now part of the national record and circulating widely. This is not the first time she has used her office to cast doubt on our people, and the harm is magnified by the influence of her position.

Qalipu First Nation members deserve respect and unity, not division, especially from someone who holds the same membership card as every other member. Senator White herself is a Qalipu First Nation member, with many in her own community of Flat Bay also part of our Nation. Her remarks raise troubling questions about whether she is undermining not only our legitimacy, but her own and that of her community.

It was reassuring to see 68 Senators vote in favour of amendments to Bill S-2, approaching the issue from a broad national and regional perspective. Their leadership reflects unity, fairness, and accountability, in contrast to Senator White’s misuse of her platform to sow division and lateral violence against Qalipu First Nation’s members.

For our Nation, this issue is not about enrolment reform, it is about the dignity and legitimacy of our members. Qalipu First Nation members applied in good faith under rules designed and repeatedly rewritten by Canada in collaboration with the Federation of Newfoundland Indians. Criticism should be directed at the colonial registration system and federal control over Indigenous identity, not at Mi’kmaq families who followed the process laid out for them.

As a Nation, we remain steadfast in defending the dignity of our members and in working to reform the colonial systems that have caused harm and division. In doing so, we are safeguarding the hard‑won recognition that was lost in 1949 and took decades to reclaim, when Newfoundland joined Canada. We will continue to stand united, protect the integrity of Qalipu First Nation, and advocate for fairness, respect, and recognition for all our members, today and for generations to come.

More information on Bill S-2 can be found here: https://www.ubcic.bc.ca/indian_act_second_generation_cut_off