Leaders of a Saskatchewan First Nation are in Vancouver to launch plans to take over control of child welfare services for its members.
It comes as the Key First Nation sent a letter to Premier David Eby expressing B次元官网网址渉eartbreak and outrageB次元官网网址� at the loss of one of its teenage members while she was in British ColumbiaB次元官网网址檚 child welfare system.
The nation says it chose to start consultations in Vancouver to honour Noelle OB次元官网网址橲oup, a 13-year-old member of its nation who disappeared from a B.C. group home in 2021 and whose remains were found in the city nearly a year later.
The letter says the nation has grave concerns about the B.C. governmentB次元官网网址檚 inaction on the teenB次元官网网址檚 disappearance and death, and it calls on the government to address systemic failures that compromised the girlB次元官网网址檚 safety and her familyB次元官网网址檚 access to information.
The girlB次元官网网址檚 body was found inside a Downtown Eastside rooming house and while the tenant of the room was found dead inside in February of last year, officers initially missed the remains of OB次元官网网址橲oup and another woman, who were also in the room.
The letter to Eby says the disparity between outcomes for Indigenous and non-Indigenous children in government care that led to this tragic outcome needs to be identified and changed.
The federal government changed the law in 2020, allowing Indigenous communities to exercise jurisdiction over child and family services while Ottawa established national minimum standards.
Indigenous children are disproportionately overrepresented in B.C.B次元官网网址檚 child and family services system, comprising less than 10 per cent of the child population yet representing 68 per cent of the children in care.
The letter says there was a concerning lack of transparency from law enforcement and the BC Coroners Service, leaving OB次元官网网址橲oupB次元官网网址檚 family and the nation with many unanswered questions.
B次元官网网址淎s Chief and Council, we are taking our first steps to assert our natural jurisdiction of our children,B次元官网网址� the letter says. B次元官网网址淲e no longer have faith in (the ability of governments across Canada) to protect our children, who are our future.B次元官网网址�
