First Nation leader writing about children being taken from their families today in Canada
System of alienation of First Nations children from their heritage has gone on far too long
April 23, 2009
Re: MCF Child Apprehension: A Residential School Syndrome.
There is a lot at stake when First Nations children are taken from their home. In today’s society, native children being apprehended from their family is becoming much like the Residential School Syndrome.
The Ministry of Children and Families is doing everything in its power to apprehend First Nations children from families as soon as they perceive that families are not fit to take care of their children.
In the Tsilhqot’in prehistory, Tsilhqot’in children were often raised by relatives; either grandparents, an aunt or an uncle, or some such person where they were taught their ancestral knowledge and their traditional roles.
This is the way children retained their unique identity, grew up in nurturing environments with role models who demonstrated traditional ways of being.
After European contact, I was taken away from my home at an early age, away from my parents and I was sent to the Saint Joseph’s Mission, the Residential School in the Cariboo-Chilcotin. My parents had no say in this regard.
At that time, if my parents objected to this form of kidnapping, the local RCMP would have arrested and imprisoned them.
This same approach is now being employed by the Ministry of Children and Families.
The Federal Government set in motion this inhumane treatment of First Nations children and they should bring to an end this type of cruelty, especially now in cases where children are involved in the court system.
Adoption is finalized without the consent of the legal parents.
Theft of First Nations children is a crime. This system is also a breach of the government’s fiduciary duty toward Aboriginal families, and this is happening right across Canada.
I knew how to speak my language before I was sent to the Indian Residential School, and in the institutional process, I lost my language twice, and at some point. I could not even speak one Tsilhqot’in word.
The Tsilhqot’in language was not taught in the school, nor were we allowed to speak it.
As a result, I lost my dignity, my identity and my sense of self worth.
My self-esteem suffered for years afterwards. This is cultural genocide.
Because of this experience, I have a deep sympathy for those parents who have had their children apprehended by Social Services.
These children suffer as I did every day. They will never experience the closeness of family relationships, the personal cultural experiences, the traditional initiations, and will never learn about or see their ancestral landscapes.
Instead, the future of both parents and children is marked by despair, hardship and a loss of their cultural heritage.
In the Residential School system, First Nations had no say in the creation of policies in regards to their children.
This system of alienation of First Nations children from their heritage has continued for far too long.
The federal and provincial governments need to change their attitude towards First Nations families. It’s time to rebuild our nation and make positive changes, amendments in support of equality and the right for First Nations children to learn and practice their cultural traditions.
The court system is another paternalistic approach towards First Nations. Our Aboriginal rights to practice our traditions are being infringed upon.
Adoption laws allow B.C. and federal courts to create a society where children must be brought up by other families, without the consent of the parents. This type of apprehension is theft under the Tsilhqot’in traditional adoption system.
This is getting out of hand. Safety and protection is involved in enforcing a system harmful to First Nation families. Aboriginal rights to parenting must be brought forward, and used as a major consideration when choosing to place children.
Further discussions and amendments is definitely a must between First Nations and the Ministry of Children and Families in creating better protocols for dealing with First Nations children, and to improving the working relationship between First Nations and the ministry.
A firm decision can be made by the court, whereby parents, in some cases, where a mother or father must improve parenting skills and live healthier lives; and previously adopted children can be returned to their immediate family.
There is also a traditional system which is being used by some communities called “the Circle Sentencing,” which could be applied as initial steps in dealing with family issues. This type of interaction is a more humane and intelligent way of dealing with family issues.
There are further First Nations community issues which are being ignored. The documented statistics of about 87 per cent unemployment is common in First Nations communities across Canada.
Ministry of Children and Families return children to their families three to four years after apprehending them, and swoop in again to take them away because parents cannot afford to take care of their children.
Chief Ivor D. Myers
Yunesit’in Government