Children's advocate confims deaths of kids under watch of Saskatoon Tribal Council

Bob Pringle is confirming at least two children have died while receiving services under the watch of Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC).
 
The Saskatchewan Advocate for Children and Youth is quick to stress he means that children have not died “under the care” of STC but rather while receiving services provided through the STC.
 
“There have been children that have died under their service, maybe they weren’t in care but they’ve died under their care and that is indisputable,” Pringle confirmed.
 
The province announced Tuesday it is taking back the care of children from the family services agency because they have failed to submit monthly reporters and won’t give access to files.
 
Pringle wants to be able to investigate the circumstances of those deaths but is being denied.
 
“I want access to see what went wrong and that access isn’t forthcoming,” he explained. “I am receiving cooperation from all the other First Nations agencies but Saskatoon and that’s not OK.”
 
Pringle was unwilling to provide much information on what he knows saying his office has gleaned some information but he confirmed that the children who died were not siblings and their death were “fairly recent”.
 
According to Pringle, the lack of cooperation from the STC has increased over the last six to eight months and he doesn’t know why.