First Nation Forbids Children's Aid Workers

    CONSTANCE LAKE FIRST NATION, ON, July 9 /CNW/ - Ontario Children's Aid
Workers are being prohibited from entering a First Nation Community. Constance
Lake First Nation Chief and Council have passed a resolution banning all
members of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services from their territory.
Chief Arthur Moore says, "If for any reason a representative enters onto
Constance Lake Territory, they will be treated as trespassers, and if any
children are removed from the community it will be considered a kidnapping."
    Moore explains that First Nations culture and rights have not been taken
into consideration when Children's Aid Societies deal with aboriginal child
welfare matters. Moore has been working closely with Kunwaniamano, a child and
family services organization, to ensure the delivery of a program that would
fulfill the needs of First Nations. However, the agency has still not received
designation as a Children's Aid Society by the province, and as a result, is
unable to provide the services for Constance Lake First Nation.
    At a meeting back in March, Chief Moore says, "the Jean Sauvé Children's
Aid Society agreed for the Kunwaniamon agency to look after my community's
child welfare services under Anishnaabe Abinooji Family Services, who does
have the specific designation. The agreement included a transition phase to
transfer services by June 1st, 2009."
    To date, the Jeanne Sauvé organization has not transferred the services,
and is now resistant to do so. In 2008, statistics show 23-hundred First
Nation children from reserves were put into care. Chief Moore says, "It is
time for First Nation communities to take control of their governance and
their child welfare." Moore takes great issue with workers who come into our
communities and take children without consultation.
    Making reference to the "Sixties Scoop" Moore says; "We are capable of
looking after our own children." The Sixties Scoop was a term given to an era
that saw the removal of a large number of aboriginal children from their
families, being placed into the care of non-native families in the 60's, 70's,
and early 80's. This process came to an end in the mid 80's when Ontario
Chiefs passed a resolution against it.
    The Child and Families Services Act, carried in 1984, ensured that native
adoptees in Ontario would be placed within their extended family, with another
aboriginal family, or with a non-native family that promised to respect and
nurture the child's heritage and culture. Moore says, "this cannot happen with
current CAS programs not respecting First Nations culture; our children are
vanishing into provincial care."
    The Chiefs of Nishnawbe Aski Nation passed a resolution in March of 2006
in support of Kunuwanimano being mandated as a Children's Aid Society. Chief
Moore states that until Honourable Minister Deb Matthews designates
Kunuwanimano as a Children's Aid Society, Ontario CAS workers will remain
prohibited from Constance Lake First Nation.

For further information: Amanda Bay, Communications Officer, Firedog
Communications, T- [phone], E- [e-mail]