"No Indians Here"
An evening with Elder Calvin White
Tuesday June 11 - 7pm
First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity, 81 Cochrane Street
Tickets: $25 General Admission
and Pay-What-You-Wish for Indigenous Community Members and Students
Tickets: $25 General Admission
and Pay-What-You-Wish for Indigenous Community Members and Students
On Tuesday June 11, 2024 at the First Light Centre for Performance and Creativity in St. John's, Ktaqmkuk, an evening was held with Elder Calvin White, in conversation with his son, renowned painter Nelson White. Hosted by IPANL chair Ivan J. White, the evening opened in a good way with members of the St. John's Mi'kmaw Women's Circle.
With a story spanning over seventy years, respected Mi'kmaw activist, Chief and Elder Calvin White shared his thoughts and recollections regarding the still-ongoing Mi’kmaw movement and his role in the reclamation and restoration of pride in Mi’kmaw culture in Newfoundland. Elder White’s journey began in the forests surrounding his home of Flat Bay, where he learned to fish, hunt, and gather from a group of respected mentors who influenced and inspired him. His story recounts how the lessons learned from these valuable moments fueled his later work to spearhead the Mi’kmaw movement throughout the island of Newfoundland, amid the fight for recognition by the provincial and federal governments. His words do not shy away from the prejudice and discrimination faced by his people, and they provide a personal account of the history, responsibilities, philosophy, and worldview of his community. The evening was a personal and critical look at the processes that have led to the recognition of Mi’kmaw people in Newfoundland after being excluded from the Terms of Union. When Newfoundland and Labrador joined Canada in 1949, the provincial and federal governments made no special provisions for the new province's Indigenous groups. The Terms of Union, which determined how Newfoundland and Labrador would operate as a province, did not mention Indigenous people nor did it clarify their status within the country. As a result, Innu, Inuit, and Mi'kmaq people living in Newfoundland and Labrador could not access the same programs, services, and funding the federal Indian Act made available to other Indigenous groups in Canada. Learn more: |
|
Wela'lioq (thanks) to our event sponsors and supporters!
About Elder White
Mi’kmaw, born and raised in Flat Bay, Calvin White is one of the founders of the Indigenous revival in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Elder White has been involved in Indigenous advocacy for over 50 years. In the 1970s, he helped organize Aboriginal families in the province, including those in Conne River and Labrador, to form the Native Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, which later became the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI).
A former chief of the Flat Bay band and President of the FNI, has also served on many national boards, including the Native Council of Canada, the National Indian Brotherhood, the Aboriginal Liberal Commission, and the National Council of Welfare.
He was one of the original petitioners in the 1989 legal action brought by the FNI against the federal government and with steadfast conviction and determination, he challenged legislation before the courts that eventually led to the establishment of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band.
Elder White received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Ulnooweg Development Group for his long-time commitment to business and business development, and The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2015.
He was awarded a Human Rights Champion Award, an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Memorial University, the Canada 150 Sesquicentennial Pin, and was appointed to The Order of Canada in 2019 for his pivotal role in achieving recognition for Newfoundland Mi’kmaq and his longstanding commitment to the rights of his people.
An Elder and cultural mentor to his community and to Mi’kmaq across the province, he strives to preserve and celebrate Mi’kmaw identity in this province and beyond.
In 2023, Elder White released his book ONE MAN'S JOURNEY, published by Memorial University Press. Copies will be available for sale and signing at this event.
Elder White has been involved in Indigenous advocacy for over 50 years. In the 1970s, he helped organize Aboriginal families in the province, including those in Conne River and Labrador, to form the Native Association of Newfoundland and Labrador, which later became the Federation of Newfoundland Indians (FNI).
A former chief of the Flat Bay band and President of the FNI, has also served on many national boards, including the Native Council of Canada, the National Indian Brotherhood, the Aboriginal Liberal Commission, and the National Council of Welfare.
He was one of the original petitioners in the 1989 legal action brought by the FNI against the federal government and with steadfast conviction and determination, he challenged legislation before the courts that eventually led to the establishment of the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band.
Elder White received the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada, a Lifetime Achievement Award from Ulnooweg Development Group for his long-time commitment to business and business development, and The Order of Newfoundland and Labrador in 2015.
He was awarded a Human Rights Champion Award, an Honorary Doctor of Laws Degree from Memorial University, the Canada 150 Sesquicentennial Pin, and was appointed to The Order of Canada in 2019 for his pivotal role in achieving recognition for Newfoundland Mi’kmaq and his longstanding commitment to the rights of his people.
An Elder and cultural mentor to his community and to Mi’kmaq across the province, he strives to preserve and celebrate Mi’kmaw identity in this province and beyond.
In 2023, Elder White released his book ONE MAN'S JOURNEY, published by Memorial University Press. Copies will be available for sale and signing at this event.