Moe meets Indigenous leaders to discuss child welfare

FSIN renews call to have jurisdiction over system transferred to First Nations

REGINA Jurisdiction over Indigenous child welfare was the topic of conversation last week during a meeting between Premier Scott Moe and Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron.

“I had a good chat with Chief Cameron,” said Moe. “I met with Chief (Perry) Bellegarde (of the Assembly of First Nations) as well recently, as well as a number of tribal chiefs over the course of the last couple of weeks and (I’m) thankful for the guidance and the partnerships that we have.”

The FSIN renewed calls to have jurisdiction over Indigenous child welfare transferred to First Nations during a news conference in Saskatoon on Friday morning, but acknowledged it won’t be a quick process and will require capacity building.

Cameron and Bellegarde have both expressed hope that federal child welfare legislation that aims to give First Nation, Metis and Inuit more control over the care of their children gets passed soon in order to get that process started.

“We want this legislation introduced as soon as possible because we still have 40,000-plus children in foster care, in provincial care, and that’s just not acceptable,” Bellegarde said in an interview in Regina this week.

He said he’s been urging the provinces to sit with First Nations leadership in their respective territories to work out a process that respects First Nations jurisdiction over their children.

“They are failing our children,” FSIN Vice-Chief David Pratt said during Friday’s news conference of Saskatchewan’s child welfare system. “We believe we can do better.”

The province currently has 17 child and family service agreements with First Nations entities covering 62 First Nations communities.

“We have some work to do, because we have 74 First Nations communities,” said Moe, adding that the province is committed to working with First Nations to build capacity and opportunities for children who are removed from their homes to remain in their community and possibly with extended family.

“Whether the (federal) legislation is introduced and passes or not, this is good for the children. This is good for the families and this is good for Saskatchewan communities,” he said.

Bellegarde said the federal legislation is a critical step toward a shift in focus to prevention and making sure children stay with healthy families in healthy First Nations.

“You have federal government jurisdiction, you also have

We still have 40,000-plus children in foster care, in provincial care, and that’s just not acceptable. CHIEF PERRY BELLEGARDE

First Nations jurisdiction and provincial jurisdiction,” he said. “I believe you have to sit down at the table and map this out and that’s what this is going to facilitate. “It’s a process and a dialogue.” Bellegarde hopes the federal legislation will be tabled, have its first reading and pass with royal assent by the end of June.