January 26, 2017 marked the first-year anniversary of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal’s (“The Tribunal”) landmark decision regarding the issue of funding for child welfare services provided to First Nations children on reserve and in the Yukon. The complaint was filed in 2008 by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada (“the […]
Aboriginal Child Protection and Dual Citizenship: Membership has its Benefits
In British Columbia, the Director representing the Ministry of Children and Family Development must notify the Aboriginal community (i.e. Indian Band) when there are child protection concerns such as removal of a child from their parents. Under the Child, Family and Community Services Act (CFCSA), an Aboriginal Community (i.e. “treaty first nation, an Indian band […]
Envisioning an Indigenous Jurisdictional Process: A nehiyaw (Cree) Law Approach
Acknowledging Indigenous Laws and Legal Orders Indigenous laws and legal orders are the first original laws of the land we now call “Canada” and have been in existence since time immemorial. However, the imposition of western colonial law(s), legal systems and policies upon Indigenous Peoples and Nations has had significant impact upon our ability to […]
The “Sixties Scoop”: A Dark Chapter in Canadian History
An Act of Visibility When a forgotten story in history is acknowledged, the people surrounding that story become more visible. Justice Edward Belobaba’s recent ruling in favour of Ontario’s Sixties Scoop survivors marks an historical act of visibility where Canada’s dark colonial history is recognized as being one with many chapters and secrets. It is […]
The Missing Children Project
The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history. George Orwell When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (“TRC”) was established, it was a direct result of a Settlement Agreement between Residential School Survivors, the Assembly of First Nations, church organizations and the Government of Canada. It […]
