Indigenous baby dies in care of foster family

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba mother says the death of her four-month old while in the custody of foster parents shows a system set up to fail Indigenous families.

The First Nations woman said she learned Monday that her daughter had recently died, but she doesn’t know when it happened and hasn’t seen the child’s body.

She and other relatives called for answers at a news conference Tuesday hosted by the Assembly of Manitoba Chief’s Women’s Council.

The family said they were told the baby died from choking after being fed. They cannot be named under Manitoba law.

The province said the death is being investigated and did not give details.

“We share in their grief during this tragedy,” Families Minister Heather Stefanson said in an emailed statement.

The mother cried as she spoke about how her only child was apprehended soon after she was born in November.

The family did not disclose the reason for the apprehension. The mother said there was a custody arrangement that the baby was to remain in her home community. The mother was also allowed to care for the child for five days last week.

Marilyn Courchene, a councillor at Sagkeeng First Nation, said the case shows Manitoba’s troubled child-welfare system is biased against First Nations.

“This province does not treat First Nations children as human beings,” she said.