Child-welfare law blamed for whisking natives south

[Eagle Watcher]

The forced relocation and adoption of Native Children is not just a Canadian problem it is also a problem in the United States. It is a more hidden continuation of the tactic used at places like the Carlisle school. When the link dies I will break my own rule on reprinting stories and post it in its entirety here.

The letter that follows this is even more important to be read and acted upon. Why because it involves many Tribal Governments, the people themselves and the lack of programs to help those attempting to find their way home.

Child-welfare law blamed for whisking natives south

MARGARET PHILP

Monday, May 28, 2001


Aboriginal children from reserves deep in the northern wilderness are being shipped thousands of kilometres away from home to foster care in the foreign territory of urbanized Southern Ontario.

The number of native children being plucked from troubled families under Ontario's strict new child-welfare law is soaring, and aboriginal children's aid societies in the North have run out of beds in foster homes -- native or otherwise -- for the abused and neglected youngsters.
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[ June 08, 2001: Message edited by: Eagle Watcher ]

[Eagle Watcher]

From: "M Walker-Williams"
Date: Fri Jun 8, 2001 3:14 am
Subject: Re: Article from the globeandmail.com Web Centre

I am going to speak out on this... because I really have to say how much cyncisim I hold towards this situation.

Yes - I agree 100% that it is fundamentally WRONG for babiesto be scooped.

Yes - I agree that the Canadian Government has created these 3rd world conditions - and now is using same conditions as justification for taking our babies.

And yes Its a terrible thing...

And we ALWAYS hear about this being a terrible thing.

But I am ONE of those *scoooped* babies.

And I have to tell you that if you are one of the scooped..and you decide to return to your community - after the forced-march assimilation tactics - AND you try to be re-acculturatedGOOD LUCK with getting support from ANY Native organization oryour band in the re-pateriation process.

My Grampa used to shake his head at the kinds of comments people would make about me or about *scooped* children returning home..

How downright nasty and brutal administrations and Chief and Council were towards these returning lost children.

As far as they see it - if you are a *lost* baby... you are on the roles - and you don't cost the band anything - since you don't ask for any services... and they collect money on your behalf year after year after year.

I was so fortunate because I have a HUGE family - who had spent years trying to find me - who - even 20 years after my abduction were still hoping with deep love in their hearts for "Baby Roxxane" to be returned to them...

But I cringe in horror at the prospect that many of the re-patriates face.

If I had not been for my Grampa and my Aunties and Uncles who basically closed ranks around me - and welcomed me back home...into their lives and community... I would not have survived the awful and nasty way that re-patriates often get treated.

Pause for a moment - everybody who agrees with this news-stories thrust... And ask yourself what programs and aid exists for the *Scooped* children in your community.

How welcome is a *raised white* child - now adult, in wanting to come back?

I know one man - who was kidnapped by CPS authorities when he was 4 years old - and who spent 40 years trying to find his family on reserve here in Cowichan. The Band Office simply had to open a file to tell him his name - his family - his connection...

They refused to do that.

when I made mention of this lack of compassion and concern for the lost-children at our Band's Membership meeting - this poor man ran after me - in tears - saying he had been trying to get the access to info from the Band for 10 years and nobody would tell him. He begged for help.

My family was able to find his family within 6 hours by examining his status card number - and tracking down which family he had originally belonged to.

We are the lost the children.

We are the ones who had our culture and our identity stripped from us - without any say in the matter whatsover.

We have been denied our birthright - First by the Canadian Government and then by our OWN Indian Act governments.

We are forgotten - not just by the CPS people who did this to us..But by the Band Governments would constantly moan and wail about these poor children being scooped.

YES this ASSIMILATION DEVICE MUST BE STOPPED...But Band Governments must ALSO start to deal with the Scooped children who return home - in a MUCH more sane way.

[Sekon]

Thanks, Eagle Watcher.

I've often said that the foster home has replaced the residential school. This is so sad. My heart goes out to those children. I've lived this and I can only imagine the trauma that these scenario's are creating.

[Long Otter]

I have a lump in my throat reading this topic. How sad! I wish I could bring all those little children to live with me and my family. Is the Canadian government doing anything to remedy this serious matter?

We were at he Carlisle Indian school in Pa last year for a pow-wow memoralizing the Indian Children who attended there. You could almost feel and hear those little children walking the grounds there. I wondered then about all those little helpless children being forced away from their familes and loved ones. I don't think I could have handled that then or now if I was one of them.

Please post any additional information if you have it available.