Category: News & Updates

New Chief & Council Elected by Acclimation

At this evening’s monthly membership meeting, the main order of business was the nomination of seven individuals for various positions on our band council. While attendance was not abundant, current Chief Hayward Young prompted those who showed to put forth names for each position.

Many of our membership have busy lives, and for some, this is a big commitment to take on. Yet despite some hesitations, almost everyone nominated agreed to run for election. However, with just one person each running for Chief, Vice Chief, Treasurer and Secretary, and with three up for Councillor at Large, we had just enough interested parties.

Without further ado, here are the council elect, who will assume their duties starting in May of 2019 and work for the next three years to grow and support our community.

From left to right: Abbey Downey (Councillor at Large), Susan White (Treasurer), Randy Skinner (Councillor at Large), Michelle Pike Cormier (Secretary), Don Cormier (Vice Chief), Charlie White (Chief) and Patsy Head (Councillor).

Congratulations to all, and we look forward to hearing from our new council in the coming months!

2019 Election Announced!

Chief Hayward Young announces the 2019 IHFN council election, to be held late-April.

At the February monthly membership meeting, a number of announcements were made by Chief Hayward. While Council Member Charlie White took the minutes in lieu of Secretary Jarrett, who could not be in attendance, a small crowd of members listened attentively. First discussed were the on-going issues related to the Qalipu enrolment process, and more specifically, the recent letters regarding self-identification.

Council Member Charlie White recorded the minutes for this meeting.

Following this, a number of handouts were provided, including some information regarding IHFN’s involvement with the recently-announced Seven Shores Nation Network initiative. Additionally, information regarding possible staff for IHFN was discussed.

The third and final major topic was the announcement of this year’s elections for the Band Council. Anyone wishing to nominate a member for a council position must do so at the next meeting, which will be held on Thursday, March 21st, 2019. At this meeting, the final dates and voting locations will be announced, likely occuring over two days with one location in Stephenville and another in Stephenville Crossing.

Please share this information with any other members and encourage all who may be interested in running for council to attend the next meeting. Come Out. Be Heard. Take Part.

Update: The above was edited to include the correct date for the next meeting, which is March 21st, not March 28th as originally written.

Meeting tonight! (Jan. 31)

Despite the weather, we plan to go ahead with tonight’s meeting, which starts at 7:00pm in the lecture theatre at the DSB Fowlow building in Stephenville.

Please share this with others in the community and do your best to come out and take part!

NOTE: As of 5:00pm, there is an advisory to stay off Highways 490 and 460. While we want as many people to take part in our meetings, please use caution.

Saqmaw meets Saqmaw

At the recent Qalipu AGA in St. George’s, attendees met our Regional Chief and representative in the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), Saqmaw (Chief) Morley Googoo.  Originally from Whycocomagh, Unama’ki (Cape Breton), Chief Morley learned during his time here that Googoo ancestors of his had previously lived in Ktaqmkuk (Newfoundland) and he was happy to bring the Googoos back.

Before leaving, he was kind enough to don his headdress and allow a few people to get pictures with him, including our own Chief Hayward Young.

Events for the week of July 09-15

It’s a big week ahead, starting with a parade in Stephenville on Thursday, July 12 at 6PM. Organized by the Stephenville Historical Society, this is a first: created to help celebrate not only the Friendly Invasion and the Stephenville Theatre Festival, but also the local Indigenous population as we celebrate our annual powwow!

Then on Friday July 13, the powwow itself will start and run until Sunday, July 15. This special mawio’mi (gathering) is a great opportunity to see old friends, make new friends and enjoy dancing, drumming, teachings and more.

Be sure to keep an eye out on our community calendar for other events!

June Meeting Summary

Chief Hayward Young welcomed a small but interested crowd to the June meeting for IHFN.  After Vice-Chief Tianna Butler and Secretary Jarrett Brumsey reviewed the minutes from previous meetings, Chief Hayward discussed a variety of topics including the court cases that may affect Qalipu First Nation applicants and members, the present status of the band’s incorporation and the state of the band’s office at the Boyd & Bungay building.

Then he introduced Shane Snook, who has been hired under a JCP, which was made possible by the efforts of Chief Liz from No’kmaq Village. Shane will focus his time on building the membership of IHFN over the next year and in applying for program and project grants. Once a phoneline has been installed at the office, that contact information will be made available on this site, but for the present, you can send emails to IndianHeadFNgmail.com.

Additionally, Treasurer Gwen Lomond provided the present status of the band’s finances, after which the floor was opened for discussion. Soon, the final meeting before the summer break was concluded, with a mention of our next meeting, which will be on Thursday, September 27 at 7:00pm in the lecture theatre of the College of the North Atlantic.

Film premier: The Country on CBC Documentary Channel

At 10:30PM on Sunday, June 24th, catch the premier of The Country on the CBC Documentary Channel. On Bell it’s channel 346, with the HD version being 517. On Eastlink, it’s 121 or for HD it’s channel 793. There will also be repeat airings later the same night, and again at 1:00PM on July 1.

You can download the press release here (PDF), or simply read the following synopsis:

One extraordinary man and a handful of compelling Newfoundland Mi’kmaq, champion an inspiring story of recognition and a remarkable community of people reviving their nation.  The backdrop is a Federal Enrolment program aiming to grant status, under the Indian Act, after 50 years of denying their existence. With 103,000 people caught in the process, the fate of thousands across Canada is at stake.  With the twists and turns of a Shakespearean play, The Country is a complex film of a forgotten but resilient people,  in search of their own truth, legitimacy and reconciliation.

This film features a number of people you may know, and is well worth you time watching. Stay tuned for further news on how you may be able to see this movie.

You can also check out details on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheCountryFilm

Creation Workshop for Youth

Paul Pike, from the Friendship Centre, shared this info:

Register early for this great opportunity with the National Arts Centre. At the conclusion of the weekend, participants finished work will be showcased on the federal website for everyone to see and appreciate. Location for this workshop will be 329 Main St., St. George’s. Poster is attached. There are no fees.

Please share this info with any youth you think might be interested.

Reminder: Meeting on June 28th @ 7PM

Please spread the word about our final meeting before we break for summer. This meeting will allow you to meet our new office admin, and hear updates on the new office itself!

Also on the agenda will be laying out plans for the fall. There’s lots to do, so come out, be heard and take part!

Finally, the 50/50 draw from the last meeting has been carried over, so this next meeting may have a BIG prize.

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