Alberta First Nation signs child welfare agreement with feds, without the province
Alberta First Nation signs child welfare agreement with feds, without the province
MASKWACIS -
An Alberta First Nation signed a two-year agreement with Ottawa Wednesday that gives it the autonomy to administer its own child welfare.
Louis Bull Tribe in Maskwacis, Alta., south of Edmonton, is the first in the province to sign such an agreement.
"This is an important day for Louis Bull Tribe," Chief Desmond Bull said during the signing. "Our children are sacred. This law seeks to bring them home."
The First Nation said it's a bilateral agreement with the federal government and does not involve the province.
Last year, Louis Bull's child welfare organization, Asikiw Mostos O’Pikinawasiwin Society, said Alberta wasn't co-operating and didn't want to sign the agreement. Child welfare services for most Indigenous children are provided by the province or territory where they reside.
Chinenye Anokwuru, a spokesperson for Alberta's Children's Services, said in a statement that the department has worked with the Louis Bull Tribe to support the transition to their law.
"To ensure their safety, the ministry provided resources and supports to Louis Bull Tribe including a transitional grant to help with transitioning the files to the Louis Bull Tribe as well as access to information systems to help with the transition process," she said.
"We also continued to fund the cost of placement for some children and youth, as needed, and made sure they had staff for six months, with after-hour services, office space and equipment at no cost to the Louis Bull Tribe."
Anokwuru said the department is committed to working with First Nations and the federal government when requests to enter into coordination agreements are received from First Nations in Alberta, but wouldn't say why the province wasn't part of the agreement with Louis Bull Tribe.
Ottawa passed An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis Children, Youth and Families in 2020 with a focus on prevention so families can receive support to remain together.
It allows First Nations to bypass co-ordination agreements with provincial governments if no consensus is met one year after a request is made to administer to their own child welfare services.
"Wherever there is a conflict of law — federal, provincial, municipal, or another First Nation — this Asikiw Mostos O’Pikinawasiwin Law is paramount," said a news release from Indigenous Services Canada.
"Reducing the number of Indigenous children in care remains a priority for AMO Society with the support from the Government of Canada."
The Asikiw Mostos O’Pikinawasiwin Society was founded shortly after the federal bill was passed. The society works toward the First Nation having full authority over its child and family services.
Catherine Lappe, assistant deputy minister at Indigenous Services Canada, signed the agreement with Bull on behalf of Minister Patty Hadju during a ceremony.
"Louis Bull Tribe is leading the way to a better future for their families and children," said Hadju in a statement. "Canada's colonial reality has harmed too many people over generations, but today Canada and Louis Bull Tribe have a new path forward together."
Bull said the law will ensure that children will grow up immersed in their own culture.
"Although this is only a two-year agreement, it gives us the base and the foundation for us to look forward to developing something stronger, something more permanent, something that will allow that bilateral agreement to continue."
Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan was the first to sign such an agreement in 2021. Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Ontario and Peguis First Nation in Manitoba have also signed agreements with Ottawa and their provincial governments.
Dozens of other First Nations across the country are waiting for agreements.
The federal government will provide Louis Bull Tribe nearly $125 million over the next two years as it implements the Asikiw Mostos O’Pikinawasiwin law.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.
A Canadian Pacific train derailed in rural North Dakota Sunday night and spilled hazardous materials. But local authorities and the railroad said there is no threat to public safety.
The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at one of the most upscale resorts in North America took the stand Monday, saying he was rammed into from behind and sent 'absolutely flying.' The trial in Utah hinges on who crashed into who.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
Toronto MP Han Dong says he is taking legal action over a media report that alleged he spoke to a Chinese diplomat in February 2021 about delaying the release of two Canadians detained in China at the time.
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.
Family and friends of two police officers who were shot and killed while responding to a family dispute gathered in downtown Edmonton Monday to say goodbye to their loved ones.
A woman accused of killing her 18-month-old son sat holding a small teddy bear in the prisoner’s box as she listened to prosecutors outline the evidence against her on the first day of trial.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Police are looking for the public’s assistance in identifying an 'unknown,' non-verbal woman after she was found Monday by a concerned citizen in the Greater Toronto Area.
Police have located and laid a number of charges against a young man who was missing for nearly five days after he was last seen leaving his residence following a house fire and subsequent explosion.
Police say they have found the sixth and seventh bodies inside a building in Old Montreal that burned down 11 days ago and do not expect find any more victims. With the death toll now expected to remain at seven, police said they can begin to focus their efforts on finding the cause of the deadly March 16 fire.
Treasury Board President Sonia LeBel is proposing the bonuses paid to nurses — which are set to expire next Thursday — be extended at least through June.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says it will be up to the new owners of the Senators to decide whether to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats or at another location in Ottawa.
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman says the league will evaluate its Pride nights in the offseason after several players have refused to wear Pride-themed jerseys this season.
Closing arguments are being heard at the Sudbury courthouse Monday in the trial for the man accused of killing Renee Sweeney in 1998 with the defence saying there is plenty of reasonable doubt to support an acquittal.
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
A pair of mental health experts in Manitoba are warning that women are putting unrealistic expectations on themselves, leading to burnout and emotional fatigue.
The British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal has ordered that a taxi driver be paid more than $9,000 in compensation because his caste was insulted during a physical altercation at a staff Christmas party.
A stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway in Langley, B.C., has reopened after an hours-long closure due to an incident involving a truck transporting live chickens.
A municipal councillor on Vancouver Island has resigned effective immediately after referring to the mayor as "Mr. Hitler" during a public council meeting.
