More Indigenous family separations now than during residential schools, advocate says
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
More First Nations families are being separated now than during the years of residential schools — and some are still dying in government care as Indigenous children make up the bulk of Canada’s foster care system, one advocate says.
“The federal government funds all public services on reserve and does so to lesser levels,” she said on an episode of Global News’ The West Block. “That’s been going back to Confederation.”
Despite making up just over seven per cent of kids under the age of 14 in Canada, federal government statistics show Indigenous children account for more than half of kids — 52.2 per cent — in the country’s foster care system.
As these Indigenous children grow up, they’re also far more likely to be incarcerated. Indigenous adults accounted for 31 per cent of Canada’s incarcerated population in 2018-19 , despite making up just 4.5 per cent of the Canadian adult population.
The federal government is also facing criticism for pushing back against two Canadian Human Rights Tribunal rulings, including one to compensate Indigenous children who faced discrimination .
Blackstock said this “needs to stop.”
“They’re still fighting St. Anne’s residential school survivors where they literally had an electric chair for those children, but they’re using tax dollars to fight those survivors. They need to drop that,” she said, adding the federal government has a responsibility to comply with orders to provide equitable and culturally-based services to First Nations children and families.
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Every day brings another reason to vote against the current government and none to vote for any of the alternatives.
I guess Canada isn't "the best place to live" for indigenous people.
Can you name a country taken over by europeans that is?
Nope, but I know Canada isn't it for sure.
I would ask an indigenous NT member his opinion about that, rather than rely on yours.
The situation for indigenous people in the US is much the same as in Canada, re foster care even though there is the ICWA law in the US. Incarceration rates far exceed our % of the population. We also had ''residential schools'' only in the US they were called ''Indian Boarding Schools'' 357 of them.
I could go on but you get the point.
The same can be said of Australia and its treatment of the indigenous people of Australia.
If you don't mind me piggy-backing your comment Kavika -
ICWA is a well intentioned law with great coordination factors between parties. However, but - there are seven states that continually and blatantly violate ICWA (SD, ND, MT, CA, AK, ID and WA) even though they have a well written ICWA policy/procedures programs - they just don't follow them.
CA has two Supreme Courts - Upper/Northern and Lower/Southern. The Upper/Northern court continually supports ICWA whereas the Lower/Southern court opening violates it, allowing non-Indians to adopt Indian children with absolutely none of the required consultation/court hearings. AK may as well not even have ICWA on their books. Alaskan children are blatantly taken from homes for no reason other than the family is living "below the poverty line" - WTF does that mean? As we have seen in OK and NC, ICWA has to give way to money (Baby Veronica anyone?).
And who is supporting these violations of ICWA??? The churches because they still believe that all Indian children need "God" in their lives and they can't continue to live as savages.
Thousands of Indian children are taken from homes by Dominant Society because we Indians don't know how to raise our children to become "useful" members of society.
When is that friggn' mindset gonna change?
A good law but it was no teeth. There is no penalty if it's not followed by the state.
Add Minnesota to your list of states. There are more Indian children in foster care now than when ICWA was instituted in 1978.
Anoon. I think it is much the same here as well and in NZ I read the other day...not sure what is going on or why this is the case.
I asked a Koori elder last year I got talking to in hospital...why is there a reluctance by Koori families to foster Koori kids??
Even Kim could not answer that, and she was trying to get a scheme up and running to make it happen in Melbourne. Unfortunately Kim passed away this time last year and never saw it eventuate..🥀🥀🥀
There is no reluctance here by Native American families to foster children. Here the problem is that Indian children are taken as 1st stated because they are poor. Another problem here is that white families will adopt Indian children because they are lighter skinned than black children. It's the reason that ICWA (Indian Child Welfare Act) was instituted, sadly as I stated before the law has no teeth since there is no penalty if the state doesn't comply.
There have been attacks on ICWA for years by church groups and other outside interests mostly adoption agencies.
For some states, it's a money-making business. The federal pays X number of dollars to the state for foster children, but Indian children they pay considerably more since Indian children are considered special projects. South Dakota has made a business out of it.
Damn religion stuffs up so many things..
Just opened up my gate to let a Koala go through into my backyard..🐨🐨🐨
Here is a good article on how South Dakota has made Indian children a profit center.
From what's been posted here, maybe the USA isn't "the best place to live" for indigenous people.
Not sure if it is to the same extent here, but certainly mirrors many things from what I know..
I have heard of extended families wishing to take in their rellies and aren't allowed..
How in the heck do they think foster care is better...
But when money is involved it does not surprise me...
Canada isn't any better.
Okay, so let's just say neither the USA nor Canada are the best places in the world for indigenous people to live.
I'll agree with that
Keep in mind what may yet come about...
Canada's tragic residential-school reckoning could be grim harbinger for U.S.
Actually, in some ways, Canada is better. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission for one that made much of this public. The apology by the Canadian PM/government and the compensation paid.
The US has done none of that.
I don't think that cherry-picking paragraphs out of an article in order to bolster the point you are trying to make provides an accurate picture for readers. I would suggest that either you post the WHOLE article, or provide a caveat that makes it clear that you have only posted specific paragraphs from an article and suggest that readers click the "SEEDED CONTENT" link to read the whole article.
I did not include the entire article as much of it was in other articles that I previously seeded. However, I will heed your advice for the next time.
Okay, no harm done - just a matter of best procedure to avoid possibly misleading readers.
Unbelievable. So now the government is taking over for the church.
Also seems this was not endemic. Just saw this.
I met some of the survivors in the late 90's. The church in Ireland was a bastion of brutality.
I recommend the movie "Philomena", starring Dame Judi Dench. It tells the story of a woman who gave birth in one of the "Magdalene Laundries", as they were called, and whose son was adopted by Americans. There is also a move called "The Magdalene Sisters". The last of these homes closed in the 90s. The stories will break your heart.
Read the ''Rabbit Proof Fence'', the story of three indigenous sisters that escaped from an Australia ''school''.
For the US Indian Boarding Schools, ''Education and Extinction'' and ''Broken Circle''.
There are some documentaries on the Boarding Schools, ''Unspoken'' and ''Our Spirits Don't Speak English''.
Rabbit Proof Fence was also adapted to a pretty good movie.
Anoon...Yep our track record absolutely stinks when it comes to the Koori population and the stolen generation.
You hope after all these years White man has learnt and improved our way of thinking..but you really have to wonder at times.
Feel like we take three steps forward and two steps back at times.
The Koori voice gets stronger with each generation and things are changing for the better. But there is still such along way to go.
As the Kooris say re their land..
Always was and always will be..
There will come a day in the years to come when the tables will turn. And the White people will have to depend on those of other skin colors to help them survive.
The anger is boiling over in Canada.
Two First Nations tribes have cancelled their Canada Day celebrations. One Catholic church has been hit with graffiti and four Catholic Churches have been burned to the ground.
Ya think? I can see the Mercier bridge being closed down once again.
It's a famous photograph. The following article is by: Tabitha Marshall has a PhD from McMaster and is the History Editor at the Canadian Encyclopedia. I am sure there are other takes on what did or did not happen.
The photo is Anishinaabe (Ojibwe) Brad Larocque.
Interesting link.
Many years ago I posted on Anishinaabe group an article about this documentary that was produced and narrated by my friend Alanis Obomsawin.
Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance
Unfortunately due to having to preserve space on NT older articles are deleted, as was mine.
I remember that article, Buzz.
I just do not know what to say. No matter what I say it would sound like platitudes. I am glad so many of these stories are being brought to light here at NT. I have been passing them on to co-workers, family & friends. It is necessary for people to read these & learn the truth.