A dark cloud cover hung over Corner Brook on Friday despite a gallant effort from the sun to break through.
It set the mood for a handful of protesters who quietly held signs to show their disappointment in the latest development in the controversial enrollment process to become a founding member of the Qalipu Mi’qmaq First Nations Band.
“I’m here protesting today because it’s Black Friday for me,” Joseph Gallant said Friday morning outside the Qalipu office in Corner Brook. “It’s Black Friday because they’re taking away my documented identification as an Indian registered under the Indian Act since 2011.
“As of today, as an Indian in Ottawa, I will be nobody. I won’t exist, which is not right to me and it’s not just in my opinion.”
Gallant said he was a member of the Indian Head Band and when they came up with the new supplemental agreement he was told he didn’t meet the criteria so his identify was taken away from him.
Gallant, who now lives in South Brook, said he lived in Stephenville for 33 years so he was connected to the community and don’t understand why he no longer has status. He doesn’t’ think anybody read his appeal and he fell short of his status by one point and doesn’t understand how nobody can recognize the wrong that is being done.
Most of his family, who live in South Branch, were founding members and they have all been told they no longer have their status with the exception of one sister.
“I feel terrible. This is wiping my identity out,” Gallant said as he offered his disappointment that Prime Minister Trudeau didn’t keep his word on protecting the culture of Canadians.
Qalipu chief Brendan Mitchell spent the morning chatting with the protesters, who included Gallant’s brother Loyola who had pitched the idea of bringing awareness to the situation by helping organize the protest.
Chief Mitchell made it clear that he stands firm with the protesters and understands the frustration and uncertainty many members are feeling about the enrollment process.
Chief Mitchell, who was disappointed with the small numbers that showed up, said the indigenous leaders and the rest of Canada will have to come to understand and acknowledge at some time that this is a difficult situation that could be impacting all indigenous people across the nation.
“If our example today represents the future outlook of Crown-Indigenous relations in this country indigenous people everywhere should have some concern,” Chief Mitchell said.
He believes it’s a sad day for indigenous people everywhere when he sees over 10,000 people removed from the founding members list after trying hard to get the federal government to take a different approach to find a solution and not rush into it when the outcome has a big impact on people.
“The Government of Canada isn’t listening and we could have done something different that what is happening today, so for me personally this is a major disappointment, and a disappointment for our council and everybody involved in this file,” he said.
