November 30, 2009 marks the conclusion of the first stage of the enrolment process held under the Agreement for the Recognition of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band. This historic process has received overwhelming support and the uptake among the Mi'kmaq population is significantly higher than expected. As of November 30, 2009, close to 25,000 applications have been received and approximately 11,000 have been approved by the Enrolment Committee, chaired by Mr. Tom Rideout.
In the coming weeks, the Enrolment Committee will finalize the initial list of members for the establishment of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band which will take place in early 2010.
The government and the Federation of Newfoundland Indians will continue to work together to see how the process for updating the membership list can be accelerated.
