Manitoba NDP First Nations MLA "seriously concerned" over Indigenous-led CFS agencies, as more communities look to take control

A First Nations MLA says her own experiences dealing with an Indigenous-led child and family services (CFS) agency leaves her with serious concerns, as more Indigenous communities in Manitoba look to take complete control over their CFS.

“As an Indigenous woman, and as a former Indigenous band council member I can say this, I’m really worried about the First Nations handling this authority,” NDP MLA for The Pas-Kameesak Amanda Lathlin said, while speaking at a legislative affairs committee meeting last Friday at the Manitoba Legislature.

Lathlin, who is a mother to one child, said she had previously raised her sister’s three children before they were apprehended in 2017 while Lathlin was on a trip to the U.S.

Since her nieces were taken, the backbench MLA said she been dealing primarily with the Opaskwayak Child and Family Services, an Indigenous-led agency.

She said her experiences with that organization coupled with her previous work in band politics has her concerned about the possibility that more Indigenous-led agencies and communities in Manitoba are working towards complete jurisdiction over CFS, and possibly without any oversight from other bodies or levels of government.

Lathlin previously served as a band coucillor for the Opaskwayak Cree Nation.

“I’m worried about the nepotism that’s current going on in every office that I can see, and I’m worried about the unqualified workers that are currently there, such as the ones that have not returned my phone calls for two months,” she said.

“Because of all this chaos I am seriously concerned.”

Lathlin added she is concerned about what she believes could be a lack of accountability for workers working within those agencies.

“I know we are working towards our own authority, so as a foster parent like me, who do we go to and say, ‘Hey that worker is not returning my calls?’ ”

An Opaskwayak Child and Family Services official reached by telephone on Tuesday said the organization would not comment on the allegations.

Passed by the government of Canada in 2019, Bill C-92 gives First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities in Canada the authority to take jurisdiction over child welfare systems.

Last year, the Peguis First Nation became the first Indigenous community in Manitoba to take control of their child welfare, while other communities in the province are currently working towards that goal.

Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth (MACY) Sherry Gott said she also has concerns about what will be done to ensure that the safety and well-being of children is the number one priority for communities and organization that take jurisdiction over CFS.

“I’ve said this before, the children need a voice in the new system,” Gott said while speaking at Friday’s meeting. She added she believes there should be a “federal advocate” put in place to ensure the safety of children in Indigenous-led care.

But Manitoba Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine clarified at Friday’s meeting that, as per Bill C-92, once an Indigenous community takes control of their CFS, there would be no requirement for oversight from any other bodies.

“Once a First Nation enters into a coordination agreement and they are an Indigenous governing body, and they have the care and control of their children and their citizens, that’s it,” Fontaine said.

“Indigenous laws have paramount over provincial child welfare legislation, and once that’s done the province has no oversight at all.”

She added if organizations and advocates like MACY wanted to work with any communities taking control of their CFS that could only be done through “individual relationships and partnerships.”

A possible lack of oversight is also concerning to PC MLA Lauren Stone, who spoke at Friday’s committee meeting.

“I’m very concerned about this lack of oversight if it’s not asked for, and essentially just washing our hands, and what that’s going to mean for the welfare of children. Who is going to be advocating for children if an Indigenous organization does not ask for that oversight?

“I’m certainly concerned about children falling through the cracks.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun