Canadian Heritage committee  It's an excellent question. The reason the original complaint dealt with first nations children on reserve in the Yukon with regard to the child welfare component—the Jordan's principle component was on and off reserve, so that's the second part of the complaint—is that Canada, t

Canadian Heritage committee  The specific finding on the child welfare portion is on reserve and in the Yukon, the whole Yukon territory, and for Jordan's principle, it's on and off reserve.

Canadian Heritage committee  Part of the inequity is driven by remoteness, but the inequity exists regardless of where the first nations agency is. For example, I worked at the Squamish first nations child welfare agency, called Ayas Men Men, which is located in North Vancouver. I also worked off reserve for

Canadian Heritage committee  First of all, I would like to begin by recognizing that we're on unceded Algonquin territory and thanking you for the opportunity. Children may not always listen to their elders, the saying goes, but they never fail to imitate them, so the question is, what kind of example are w

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes, I do think there needs to be a recalibration and an exploration of those two departments to better prepare for the implementation of the TRC. I would also note, though, with the greatest of respect, that the minister recently said she is very proud of the work her departmen

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I would say that two key emerging themes have come up in the reports I've read on children's mental health and children's health over the years. Number one is that there needs to be an expansive framing by the federal government of the range of jurisdictional models the federal g

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  We know from the research that any sexual abuse experience for children predisposes children to a wide array of harms. When it comes to looking at the national incidence of what we know to be reported cases of sexual abuse among children—I want to underscore “reported”, because

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You asked where it went. In the tribunal's evidence at tabs 78 and 302, which I would be pleased to provide to the committee later, these are actually federal officials identifying the gaps in services that existed as of 2012 and that continue to exist. Health Canada and INAC hav

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I'd also point out that the friendship centres indeed do a lot of important work. I echo the issue about the lack of resources, but I think it needs to be broader than that. Certainly there are first nations that want to provide services to their members in urban communities. The

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  The tribunal has already put out where the money needs to go. I'd also just draw your attention, member, to significant research that's already been done on child welfare and Jordan's principle dating back now, in my early involvement, to 1997. We could actually show you down to

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Yes.

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  I think it would exceed them. Health Canada and INAC have been using a very narrow definition of Jordan's principle. It was up on Health Canada and INAC's website even as recently as last week, and it said that the only children eligible to apply to that fund were children with

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  Just two days ago, I was on Parliament Hill with 700 children. Children understand that these kids have human rights. They understand that they are little kids just like them. In fact, one of the poems that one of the non-aboriginal kids wrote out reads: Roses are red, Viol

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  You can do it today. The government could immediately comply with all the orders that are very specifically mapped out in that tribunal decision. There is no reason for further discussion. When Canadians are found to be in breach of the law, we don't ask them to discuss how they

Indigenous and Northern Affairs committee  My information, based on the analysis of INAC submissions and of its public statements, is that nothing has been provided of that $155 million since the motion has been passed in the House of Commons.