FSIN supports call for changes to child-welfare system

Cameron pledges support for group that wants changes to child-welfare system

Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron was at the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp in Regina on Thursday, offering his support to the people who have been calling for changes to Saskatchewan child welfare and justice policies for more than 120 days.

“The child-welfare system is currently failing our children. This is the focus point, and we’ll continue to do what we can to rectify it, to fix it, so no more of our children suffer,” said Cameron, who called for more regular dialogue on the issue and said FSIN was “here to support in any way we can.”

His presence, along with several other First Nations leaders, at the camp Thursday further solidifies the notion elected Indigenous leaders are supporting the grassroots movement that has manifested in the camp.

“It signals that we are together. This is a common denominator,” he said. “We’re here for our children, to protect our interest, to ensure that our children have every opportunity to succeed in life, to ensure that they have self-pride, self-identity through language and culture, that they understand that we have inherent treaty rights and we’re the only group across this country and across this world that have inherent treaty rights and they still exist, and they ’ll continue to exist.”

The protest camp was set up in February in the wake of the acquittals of men charged in the deaths of two young Indigenous people, Colten Boushie in Saskatchewan and Tina Fontaine in Manitoba.

Cameron said it is time to end racism within the justice and child-welfare systems, citing a case where the province appealed a Treaty 5 Indigenous man’s acquittal for shooting a moose on private land as an example.

“Here, they’ll appeal the killing of a moose, but they won’t appeal the killing of a First Nation young boy. That’s pretty disgusting and disgraceful,” he said, alluding to the acquittal of Gerald Stanley in Boushie’s death.

Since Day 1, supporters say, the goal has been to start a conversation with the provincial government to address issues like the over-representation of Indigenous children in the foster-care system and inequality in the justice system.

Following a meeting between camp members and the provincial government on Monday, members of the group presented a list of actionable items — many of which were related to child welfare and the justice system — to the province.

Attorney General Don Morgan responded by saying he wouldn’t attend another meeting unless the camp’s teepees — there are currently 13 dotting the park near the Saskatchewan Legislative Building — were taken down.

He also questioned the motive of some of the camp members and said the government will work with First Nations partners — such as the FSIN — to address the issues being brought forward by members of the Justice for Our Stolen Children camp.

Cameron said it will be up to the camp members to decide when the teepees come down and said he has delivered a simple, straight forward message to Morgan and the provincial government: “All voices matter.”

“We’re all elected leaders in some sense, in some form. Within our homes, our communities, even amongst our own friendships,” he said.

Here, they’ll appeal the killing of a moose, but they won’t appeal the killing of a First Nation young boy. That’s pretty disgusting and disgraceful.