QUOTE: Southern Chiefs leader Terry Nelson says First Nations should sue the province over child welfare in Manitoba. Nelson raised the issue in a letter widely circulated among First Nations leaders Monday. We don’t get anywhere if we don’t sue the government. The child and family service system is a prime example of governments failing to listen, Nelson wrote. In a phone interview, Nelson said the province holds legislative authority over child welfare without giving indigenous leaders and families any say in a system where 87 per cent of the 10,000 children in care are indigenous. The government says they have 100 per cent of the responsibility for CFS, that the chiefs have no authority, no say in appointments to the (advisory) boards, Nelson said. We’re saying if you have 100 per cent of the responsibility, you have to take 100 per cent of the blame. Nelson said suing the province would cost millions and to do that successfully, indigenous leaders would first have to launch and maintain a fundraising campaign to foot legal costs. In his letter, the grand chief, who has a well-deserved reputation for provocative rhetoric, said he believes the province’s child and family services system is a form of genocide. CFS is a new residential school system and there will be no change unless we make it painful for governments to continue their genocidal policies, Nelson said in the letter. The province said through a spokeswoman it had no comment on the threat of a lawsuit and planned to keep meeting with aboriginal leaders. The minister meets regularly with chiefs and (Manitoba Metis Federation president) David Chartrand, either individually or in groups, to discuss child welfare issues. The discussions are confidential. The minister looks forward to continuing these discussions to further improve protection for vulnerable children, the spokeswoman said.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 01:25:32 +0000
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