Inuit child care law passed in Canada by Inuvialuit people first of its kind
On Nov. 24, the Inuvialuit people residing in the Northwest Territories (NWT) made history by passing their own law, making this the first time an Inuit Nation instigated a law in Canada.
The new child care law is called the Inuvialuit Qitunrariit Inuuniarnikkun Maligaksat, which translates to the “Inuvialuit Family Way of Living Law.”
The legislation was passed by the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation (IRC), the government representing the collective interests of the Inuvialuit in the N.W.T.
The new child care law now classifies Inuvialuit youth as “beneficiaries,” which is a member or descendant of someone represented by the IRC.
From now on, any beneficiaries entering child and family services will be supported to remain in their home community - unless there are exceptional circumstances.
This means that Inuvialuit youth anywhere in the country currently in child and family services will have the opportunity to return to the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR), which consists of Inuvik, Aklavik, Paulatuk, Sachs Harbour, Tuktoyaktuk and Ulukhaktok.
The opportunity to create an Indigenous-run foster care system in the N.W.T. came after the Federal Government passed Bill C-92 in January 2020. The bill allows for First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities to take authority and transition towards “partial or full jurisdiction over child and family services at a pace that they choose.”
The new legislation in the N.W.T. will allow the IRC to create a new department that will be completely dedicated to child well-being and implementing the law.
According to a report from the Director of Child and Family Services (CFS), Indigenous people in the territory are grossly over-represented in the province's child and family services - with 98 percent of children in the foster care system being Indigenous.
However, only 57 percent of children and youth in the N.W.T are Indigenous.
Duane Ningaqsiq Smith, IRC chair, likened the effects of the Canadian foster care system to that of the Residential School system, saying, “Because of residential schools, the parents lost that communication with their children; some of them were taken away for years and when they went back home, they couldn't even speak the same language,” he said. “Then it just became a vicious cycle.”
The new law will also require all federal, territorial and provincial governments to meet the same standards when providing child and family services to Inuvialuit children - meaning that the IRC is now fully involved with any and all child welfare cases pertaining to Inuvialuit children.
N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane stated that the new law is “a significant moment relating to child and family services reform in the NWT and across Canada. The Inuvialuit are the first Indigenous government in the NWT to ratify a child wellbeing law that will apply across Canada.”
“This law is a big step forward in ensuring decisions are made in the best interests of Inuvialuit children, youth and families, ” she concluded. “We are committed to continuing to work with the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation moving forward.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.