It is with an extremely heavy heart that Chippewas of the Thames First Nation is announcing the passing of one of its long-standing members of Council: Ms. Darlene Whitecalf.
Councillor Darlene Whitecalf served as a member of the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation Council for 16 years – making her one of the Nation’s longest standing female Councillors.
Councillor Whitecalf relocated back to our First Nation with a commitment towards serving the people she cared fiercely about; she always ensured everyone had a voice and that each individual was treated fairly. She held an abundance of respectful, cherished relationships with many people throughout the country in various capacities.
Aside from her leadership commitment; Darlene was a long-standing board representative to the Southern First Nations Secretariat, an active liaison for First Nation policing, a member of the Green Lane First Nation Liaison Committee – Tri-Township Arena Board – and also served as voting delegate to many First Nation organizations. Instrumental in the commitment toward ensuring that the First Nation’s Land Claim Trust was brought back to good standing, (and having served there as an
appointed trustee of Council) she was meticulously involved in the negotiations of two of Deshkan Ziibiing’s land claim settlements.
Our community and leadership will miss Darlene immensely, and our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends during this difficult time.
Due to Covid there will be no formal visitation or funeral service. A celebration of Darlene’s life and inurnment will be held on Wednesday, July 21st, 2021, at 11am at Colborne Cemetery, Chippewa.
Darlene’s virtual obituary can be found at tinyurl.com/darlenewhitecalf