Qalipu band application process accelerated

To ensure qualified people become members as quickly as possible, the federal government and Federation of Newfoundland Indians announced last week an accelerated application process for the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band.

The membership list will be updated every four months once the band is established this year, until the backlog of applications has been addressed.

Originally, the band would have been established with the processed applicants and membership updated three years later. Almost 26,000 applications were received by the Nov. 30, 2009 deadline - with 11,000 approved for the initial members list.

As well, the date of the band's first election has been extended to permit those

added to the band's list during this process the chance to vote or run for office.

Brendan Sheppard, federation president, said he was very satisfied with the changes.

"It takes a fair amount of time with the bureaucracy in order to get things established," he said.

"It allows the Qalipu band to be established and in doing that, it allows those 11,000 who have been approved to receive benefits while waiting until all these others come in. ... This is positive action and I believe action speaks a lot louder than words in the best interests of the Mi'kmaq people."

Calvin White, founder of the Qalipu First Nation Watch Group, remains discontented with the process to form the new band.

He said further information is required regarding the changes to the agreement, including what safeguards are in place to ensure those meeting membership criteria during the second phase of enrollment will be included in the founding members' list.

He also expressed concern that an open-ended election date would keep appointed interim administrators in power longer, and queried if measures would be in place to ensure appointed administrators do not staff the Qalipu band with permanent positions that will exist after the band council is elected.

"No doubt, the members of the new Qalipu band and their duly elected First Nation government will want to create and shape the character and nature of their governance and administrative structure," stated Mr. White.

He and members of his group has been writing to the federal government and the federation since Dec. 4, 2009 to express their concerns, but he said they have yet to receive a reply.

"[I]t is disappointing that neither Canada or the FNI did not have the decency and common courtesy to formally respond to letters sent directly to them from concerned members," said Mr. White, noting his group would continue to advocate for solutions to their concerns.

When asked about the membership process, Mr. Sheppard confirmed those enrolled in the first and second stages of the membership process would become founding band members.

"Once this is all said and done, even at the end of the three years, all those people approved at the end of the three years, apart from the Nov. 30 [initial deadline], will all become first-founding members of the Qalipu band."

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