An Elders Symposium (Stephenville) and a Cultural Symposium (Grand Falls) were hosted by the Qalipu Mi’kmaq First Nation and Cultural Foundation this past year, a first for the newly established Foundation. Each of these events were well attended and received positive reviews from participants.
Tyrone Mulrooney, participant in the Cultural Symposium, commented on the positive feeling of the event “a big thank you to everyone for the day that we shared together. I left Grand Falls-Windsor feeling very positive, encouraged and feeling a sense of belonging and pride. It was good to see old friends, make new ones, and feel the energy of the talking circle.”
Colleen Paul, who works with Qalipu First Nation shared in a similar experience. “It was a truly amazing day. It was very informative and at times very emotional. We are all born to make a difference and in order to do this we needed to be informed and this is just the beginning. My ancestors were very active in our modern day communities and my only heartache is that they did not live long enough to celebrate recognition. BUT, throughout the day I was reminded of my ancestors and could feel their presence in the room. Here we are, beginning a process to celebrate, learn, teach and revive our Mi’kmaq culture.”
