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An agreement between the federal government and the Assembly of First Nations was signed Tuesday, outlining how funding for an overhaul of the First Nations child welfare system will work for legislation passed last year.
Bill C-92, An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families, was created to reduce the number of children in government care and allow Indigenous communities the chance to create their own child welfare system.
Chief Cadmus Delorme of the Cowessess First Nation said he likes the bill, but noted it presents a lot of “unanswered questions.”
Specifically, Delorme noted the questions of funding and the abrogation of treaty rights.
“Cowessess has dissected it legally, morally with what we want to do,” Delorme said. “It’s an opportunity … We can dwell on every situation that’s not working out, but at the end of the day, if we don’t focus on our opportunities, we’re pretty much telling our next generation, ‘You figure it out.’ ”
In March, Cowessess citizens voted to ratify their own legislation pertaining to child welfare. The Miyo Pimotisiwin Act includes Bill C-92 and seeks to address the development stages of children from Cowessess, whether on or off reserve.
Delorme says it is important to ensure children are able to stay on track with their development “to ensure the next generation is going to be well-prepared for whatever the world brings us.”
Bill C-92 was introduced on Feb. 28, 2019. Its adoption suggested a new system must be implemented to allow First Nations people jurisdiction over Indigenous children in care of child and family services but did not outline how such a system overhaul would be funded.
Delorme said he was aware of the bill’s development for the past few years, but decided it was important for Cowessess to create its own legislation.
“When you control your destiny, you have to focus on what matters most,” Delorme said. “Cowessess, we are a very forward-thinking First Nation and we want to own (our child welfare system) and figure it out today.
“We own our history and we cannot sentence another generation or wait for the next generation to fix our issues.”
Delorme said the First Nation’s internal legislation addresses apprehension of children and prevention of families requiring such intervention by the child welfare system.
It also seeks to address inequality and socioeconomic conditions and implements Jordan’s Principle, which ensures all First Nations children in Canada have access to the products, services and supports they require. These include health, social and educational needs.
If children are not meeting the development stages they should be, Delorme said the band will step in to help.
Part of that plan to provide support to Cowessess children involves the Sacred Wolf Lodge. The 10-bedroom home was opened in November to be a place for Cowessess children and teens to stay when on reserve if they have nowhere else to go.
Delorme said the lodge became a reality after a conversation over coffee with a local elder.
“She mentioned, ‘Healing must come from home and … when they come home from off the reserve, where can they stay?’ ” Delorme said.
Local community members are trained to work at the lodge to help guests heal and assist any families that may visit.
The lodge will be specially equipped to support women and girls ages 14 to 18, in response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls epidemic in Canada.
Cowessess is also equipping 10 kookums to help families and children both on and off the reserve.
“With the training of the trauma we’re giving them, it’s actually helping (the kookums), too, with their healing,” Delorme said.
The kookum will sit with the child and their family in situations where the child welfare system is required to be involved.
“We are eliminating the trauma which means when a child has to be apprehended, which will happen, we bring a kookum into the house. And the kookum will sit with the mom or dad … and just let them know that, ‘We’re here to help,’ the parents have to leave to go get help and the children will stay,” Delorme explained.
“The kookum will stay with the children so they can sleep in their own beds, wake up in the morning, take their same bus. We don’t have to add to the trauma to the child when it was the adult that needs help.”
Delorme said this measure will not only support children entering the child welfare system, but also ensure parents are receiving the support they need to become better caregivers for their children.
“We know intergenerational trauma is real,” Delorme said. “If the children wake up and watch the parents get ready for work, the children will be very excited to one day go to school, get jobs, and so it could reduce the intergenerational trauma.”
The Miyo Pimotisiwin Act has not yet been enacted but Delorme said he is pleased with the progress made to date on the legislation. Delorme said Cowessess is currently in discussions with both the federal and provincial governments about seeing the act through to complete implementation.
“Bill C-92 has kind of given us that open door that the federal government (and) the provincial government will work with us,” Delorme said.
Discussions are ongoing with various levels of government pertaining to deciding some of the legislation’s finer details, including fiduciary obligations with the federal government and relevant information on children in care from the province.
The chief is optimistic that the Miyo Pimotisiwin Act will be enacted within the year.
“I’m excited,” said Delorme. “Personally, I grew up on the reserve, I absolutely love being from Cowessess and I meet many children in care. That’s a very big part of my duty as a chief … I make it my mandate and try to listen to them. I hear their stories, I get to see how funny they are. And to have this Miyo Pimotisiwin Act, I know it’s going to help in our healing process.”
One hundred and 56 children from the Cowessess First Nation are currently in the care of the child welfare system. Delorme estimates that’s about one in every six children from the reserve.
Cowessess’ new child welfare legislation will not seek to remove those children from their current homes, but instead work with families to see Cowessess children connect with their culture.
“We have met foster parents who are non-First Nation and these children are in great homes,” Delorme said. “We told the foster parents we’ve met with so far, ‘We … just want to be a part of their life too, and make sure that they know where home is, and that’s Cowessess First Nation.’ ”