Sts'ailes, Canada and B.C. celebrate coordination agreement to support child and family services

STS'AILES, STS'AILES XA'XA TEMEXW, BC, Sept. 6, 2024 /CNW/ - First Nations children have the inherent right to know who they are, where they come from, and to have a strong connection to their family, lands, cultures, traditions, and languages. With the signing of the coordination agreement, and ongoing implementation of Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts'ailes, the Snowoyelh Department will oversee the safety and well-being of Sts'ailes children and families while nurturing their strong cultural pride and identity.

At a ceremony held today in Sts'ailes Xa'xa Temexw, Siyam te Sts'ailes (Sts'ailes Leadership), the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, and the Honourable Grace Lore, British Columbia's Minister of Children and Family Development, celebrated the signed coordination agreement between the three parties, pursuant to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families and B.C.'s Child, Family and Community Service Act. The coordination agreement supports Sts'ailes's exercise of jurisdiction in relation to the provision of child and family services, through their Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts'ailes, Sts'ailes's Child and Family Services law.

Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts'ailes ensures the safety and well-being of Sts'ailes children and families while nurturing their strong cultural pride and identity so they grow strong in the knowledge of who they are, where they come from, and what they belong to. The law preserves the connection children have with their culture. Canada has committed to providing $118.8 million over the almost ten years of the agreement, subject to annual adjustments to account for inflation and population growth. British Columbia has committed to providing $16.4 million to support the agreement with Sts'ailes, subject to annual adjustments to account for inflation.

Directly investing in Indigenous communities as they lead the reform of child and family services in their community is essential; they are in the best position to determine what is important for their children, youth and families. The signing of this coordination agreement provides assurance to Sts'ailes that their unique needs and priorities are valued and supported. Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts'ailes benefits the well-being of Sts'ailes children, youth and families and validates Sts'ailes' inherent right and responsibility to care for their current and future generations of children.

Quotes

"After almost four years of negotiations Sts'ailes, Canada, and British Columbia, have reached a historic Agreement that will mark Sts'ailes' inherent rights to care for their "most precious resource" their children and families. For decades, since 1972, Sts'ailes worked diligently with the Ministry of Children and Families (MCFD) to reclaim responsibility over its children and families, to bring their children home, to re-connect the children with their families, the Sts'ailes community and their cultural and spiritual practices.

Snowoyelh (traditional laws) has been passed down generation after generation for millennia. Of all the sacred responsibilities, Sts'ailes holds their children as their most precious resource. Children have inherit rights to know who they are and where they come from. Sts'ailes children, regardless of where they reside, have an inherent right to know who they are and where they come from. They deserve to be safe and healthy, and to be connected to their family, lands, culture, traditions and language. Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts'ailes will blanket Sts'ailes people with love and protection like a swoqwe'lh (sacred wool blanket) while providing culturally relevant services.

Siyam te Sts'ailes (Sts'ailes Leadership) are celebrating this historic signing on Friday Sept 6, 2024 in Sts'ailes, where Canada and B.C. will recognize and honour Sts'ailes jurisdiction of Sts'ailes children and families."

William "Willie" Charlie
Chief Executive Officer | Grand Chief
Sts'ailes

"Today, the people of Sts'ailes are taking back control of their child and family services something that rightfully belonged to them all along. With the signing of this coordination agreement, Sts'ailes children and families will grow up immersed in their culture and traditional knowledge, supported by their communities. This is crucial for them to have a fair chance to succeed and for all of us to move forward on the path to reconciliation."

The Honourable Patty Hajdu
Minister of Indigenous Services

"Today marks a pivotal step in our journey with Sts'ailes, guided by our shared goal of ensuring Sts'ailes children, youth and families are supported to thrive. We recognize and uphold Sts'ailes' inherent right to self-govern through their laws and culture to lift up their most precious resource – their children."

The Honourable Grace Lore
Minister of Children & Family Development, British Columbia

Quick facts

• For most Indigenous children, child and family services are provided under the legislation of the province or territory where the children and families reside. The province or territory sets the service practices and interventions. This is typically based on mainstream standards and priorities.
• On January 1, 2020, the federal An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families (the Act) came into force. The Act affirms the inherent right to self-government of Indigenous Peoples, which includes jurisdiction over child and family services. It provides a pathway for Indigenous communities to exercise their jurisdiction over child and family services and sets out principles applicable, on a national level, to the provision of child and family services to Indigenous children.
• In November 2020, the Prime Minister announced over $542 million in funding to advance First Nations, Inuit and Métis engagement to co-develop the implementation of the Act and to support Indigenous communities and groups in building the capacity to establish their own child and family services systems.
• Additional federal investments have included $73.6 million in Budget 2021, and $87.3 million in Budget 2022, to support Indigenous jurisdiction over child and family services. Through Budget 2023-2024, the Government of Canada committed $1.8 billion over 11 years, starting in 2023−24, to support communities in exercising jurisdiction under the Act, including the first Inuit agreement to support community-led, prevention-based solutions to reduce the number of children in care. This is the third coordination agreement in B.C. and the ninth in Canada.
• The Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services Amendment Act passed into law on November 25, 2022, making B.C. the first province in Canada to expressly recognize the inherent right of self-government of Indigenous communities including jurisdiction over child and family services.

Associated links

• Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families
• Reducing the number of Indigenous children in care
• Notices and requests related to An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families
• B.C.'s Bill 38: Indigenous Self-Government in Child and Family Services Amendment Act 
• Child, Family and Community Service Act (gov.bc.ca)

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SOURCE Indigenous Services Canada

For more information, media may contact: Sts'ailes, William Charlie, Chief Executive Officer | Grand Chief, [e-mail], cc: [e-mail]; Jennifer Kozelj, Press Secretary, Office of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Indigenous Services Canada, 819-953-1160, [e-mail]; Media Relations, Ministry of Children and Family Development, B.C., 250-507-3418, [e-mail]