A service members agreement was developed by the Government of Canada, Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians to establish criteria for accepting former and current members of the CAF and the RCMP as Qalipu founding members based on the special place of honour they hold in the Mi’kmaw culture due to their service as protectors of Canada and their communities. The agreement applies to persons who were part of the enrolment process between 2008 and 2012 but were denied founding membership based on the group acceptance criterion.

Opportunity
The agreement applies to persons who had founding membership under the 2008 agreement and who, on September 22, 2011, were or had been:

• officers or non-commissioned members of the CAF serving in the Regular Force or the Primary Reserve after completing basic training, including those honourably released

or

• serving in the Canadian Rangers, including those honourably released

or

• police officers of the RCMP, including special constables and reservists appointed pursuant to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Act, excluding those dismissed with cause

and

• applicants for founding membership under the 2008 agreement

Those persons became eligible to submit documentation proving their service so as to meet the group acceptance criterion. Applicants still needed to meet the self-identification criterion, the connection to a pre-Confederation Mi’kmaq community criterion and the Canadian Indian ancestry criterion, as set out in the 2008 agreement and the supplemental agreement.

Process
Persons denied under the group acceptance criterion received a letter in January 2023. They had 45 days from the date of the letter to provide the required documents. The only documents accepted will be those proving service in one of the groups listed under Opportunity.

Decisions will be communicated in the summer of 2023 (this may be delayed due to the federal employee strike) and will provide information on the next steps.

Note that if an applicant’s Canadian Indian ancestry was not assessed previously, it will be reviewed from their original application package.

Discussions began November 2018  between Canada and the FNI.

Individuals concerned were those who were part of the Enrolment Process but denied founding membership because they did not provide sufficient proof that they met the group acceptance criterion.

In July 2019, the Qalipu Band Council submitted a Band Council Resolution supported by the FNI’s Board of Directors:

-Applicants under the 2008 Agreement who were either serving or former members of the CAF or the RCMP on September 22, 2011, could be found to meet the Group Acceptance Criterion -based on their service as protectors of Canada and their communities.

Those who:

• Had a valid application for founding membership in the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation between December 1st, 2008, and November 30, 2012.
• Were alive on September 22, 2011 (date of Recognition Order).
• Were a Service Member of the CAF or RCMP, as defined in the Service Members Agreement, on or before September 22, 2011 (date of the Recognition Order).

* In the case of CAF, you must have completed Basic Training.

*Were minors in the province in which they resided on the date of application or on September 22, 2011, are considered to have fulfilled the Group Acceptance Criterion if at least one of their parents does.

• Civilian employees in the CAF and RCMP;
• CAF Cadets;
• Spouses of serving and former CAF and RCMP members;
• Individuals who did not apply for founding membership during the Enrolment Process

• The specific group of Individuals describe in the question 8
• The persons who were denied on the group acceptance criterion
• The persons who may be registered 6(2) but who were denied on the group acceptance. If approved, the persons could be registered 6(1)(b)

It may be because you changed address but did not update it with Indigenous Services Canada.
Please contact the Indigenous Services Canada Qalipu phone line at 1-800-561-2266 to explain the situation and request your letter.

When you request an address update, the call-centre agent will create a “ticket” and record the request in a log. An Intake Officer will make the change in the Indian Registration System and verify that you were denied on the group acceptance criterion (letters are being sent to applicants denied on the group acceptance criterion only). If this is the case, a letter will be issued to you and the deadline will be adjusted to allow you additional time to respond.

• Those who were denied under self-id or ancestry.
• Those who never applied by the deadline.

• The call-out letter includes a Declaration Form and an Acknowledgement & Release Form
• You have 45 days to provide a signed Declaration Form and Acknowledgement & Release Form and provide your proof of service.
• This must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2023.
• Your documentation will be given to the Enrolment Committee for review.

Decisions on all submissions will be communicated in Spring 2023

• The documentation to demonstrate group acceptance under the terms of the new agreement, establishing that you became a member of the CAF or the RCMP on or before September 22, 2011 (date of the formation of the Qalipu Mi’kmaq Band);
• If you were no longer a member of the CAF or the RCMP on September 22, 2011, you must provide
  • the date your service ceased
• the reason for the cessation of your service for example, voluntary or compulsory retirement or release, disability

Canadian Forces Release Certificate (detailing the Category for Release)

• Military Personnel Document for active CAF members only)
• Identification Card issued by the Canadian Armed Forces
• Veterans Service Card (for former CAF members )
• Certificate of Service (for former CAF members )
• Service Number (for former and current members of the CAF and RCMP)
• Statement of Employment issued by RCMP (indicating date of service began and (if applicable) reason for and date of service cessation)
• Service Card issued by the RCMP indicating date service began
• Other documents that include the department of Service, dates of service and, if applicable, reason for release  (To be determined  by the Implementation Committee for its determination on acceptability)
• If you’ve reached out to either the CAF or the RCMP and are waiting for documentation to be sent to you, you must advise the Enrolment Committee before March 17, 2023 by providing a certified true copy of the email you submitted to not be penalized.

All documents must be certified true copies.

• It is the responsibility of the applicant to have the documents certified.
• We encourage you to send as many documents as possible.

A certified true copy is a photocopy of a document, judgment or record that is signed and attested to as an accurate and complete reproduction of the original document by a notary public, commissioner of oaths or any other public official authorized to accept affirmation or oaths in the province, state, or country in which you live.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to have the documents certified.

Please contact either the CAF or RCMP directly:

Canadian Armed Forces: https://veterans-service-card.canada.ca/en/cu-cu/ OR VSCQuestions.EnquetesCSAC@forces.gc.ca

Royal Canadian Mounted Police: RCMP.RetiredID-IDRetraite.GRC@rcmp-grc.gc.ca

If you’ve reached out to either the CAF or the RCMP and are waiting for documentation to be sent to you, you must advise the Enrolment Committee before March 17, 2023 by providing a certified true copy of the email you submitted to not be penalized.

• All documents must be certified true copies.
• It is the responsibility of the applicant to have the documents certified.

• complete the Declaration Form
• sign the Declaration Form at Part 4 and the Acknowledgement and Release form
• provide certified true copies of acceptable documentation you have to prove that you were a Service Member of the CAF or the RCMP on or before September 22, 2011
• send the documents to

Enrolment Committee
Indigenous Services Canada
Box 9100
Winnipeg MB  R3C 0M9

Your response must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2023. After this date, your application will be not considered by the EC or the Appeal Master.

Your response must be postmarked no later than March 17, 2023. After this date, your application will be not considered r by the Enrolment Committee or the Appeal Master.

If you’ve reached out to either the CAF or the RCMP and are waiting for documentation to be sent to you, you must advise the Enrolment Committee before March 17, 2023 by providing a certified true copy of the email you submitted to not be penalized.