Cover Image for A Message of Care Across Turtle Island

A Message of Care Across Turtle Island

OneFeather

7 min read

To our relatives across Turtle Island,

It has been a hard summer. Fire, smoke and evacuation have touched much of the land this year, and for a lot of our communities the difficulty has not been isolated to one place or one season. We want to take a moment to say we are thinking of you, and that we are here.

If you or your community are navigating an evacuation or its aftermath, here are a few things that may help.

If your status card was lost or damaged

Your status card is part of who you are, and losing it in a fire or an evacuation is one more weight in a season that already asks too much. If your status card (the plastic, machine-readable card from Indigenous Services Canada) was lost or damaged, you can apply for a replacement online with OneFeather, so you don't have to navigate the process alone. We wish we could do this at no cost; because each application is reviewed by a real person on our team, there is a small cost involved, but we're offering $5 off with promo code FIRERELIEF to help lighten it.

Renew or replace your status card.

If you've had to leave home

Emergency support during an evacuation, things like lodging, food and clothing, is coordinated by your own First Nation or local emergency authority, and they can tell you how to register where you are. What we've compiled below is a list of emergency support services for each province and territory, to help connect you to what you need faster.

Emergency support by province and territory

If you've lost other important documents

A fire or evacuation can take more than one document with it. Here is where to start for the most common ones.

Your Social Insurance Number (SIN) is national. If your card or letter was lost, you can apply for a confirmation of your SIN online through Service Canada. There is no fee.

Your birth certificate and driver's licence are issued by your province or territory. Find yours below. If you were born in one province but now live in another, your birth certificate comes from the province where you were born.

Birth certificate and driver's licence by province and territory

Something worth knowing: when a disaster is formally declared, governments have often waived the fees to replace documents lost or destroyed in it. If you've been affected, it is worth asking whether those measures are in place.

If your Nation records feel at risk

For Nations who manage member registry or other information using OneFeather: that data is stored safely and can be reached from anywhere with an internet connection. If a band office has been damaged or is unreachable, whatever you have entrusted to OneFeather is safe and still there.

If your Nation has a vote underway with us

If your community is in the middle of an election or vote with OneFeather and has been affected by an evacuation, please reach out. We will work closely with your administration to find a path forward that is safe, supportive and respectful of what your people are managing right now. Nothing about a vote should add to the weight of a hard season, and we will do what we can to meet you where you are.

If you need someone to talk to

Displacement and loss can bring up a great deal. The Hope for Wellness Helpline offers culturally grounded support for all Indigenous peoples, any time of day, at 1-855-242-3310 or by chat at hopeforwellness.ca. Both telephone and online chat services are available in English and French. Telephone support is also available upon request in Cree, Ojibway (Anishinaabemowin) and Inuktitut.

We know a single post cannot fix a hard season. But we wanted you to know we see it, we are thinking of you and your families, and we are here if we can help.

With care for all our relations,

The OneFeather team