Affidavit of Michael Bear - Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry

[125] However, it was equally clear that while the Agency was waiting for
many years for the parents of Tracia Owen to solve their personal problems,
Tracia herself was sniffling, needing treatment (Kirkos House), acting
threatening, suicidal (discharged from Kirkos) and placed in a four bed
placement, where difficulties continued, and finally to Project Neecheewam.
[126] Contributing to this spiral was the lack of long-term planning, proper
assessment, insufficient documentation, lack of accountability to standards,
lack of oversight.
[127] Somewhere opportunity for the parents should have been replaced by
opportunity for Tracia.
[128] Ms Glory Lister was the policy and program advisor to Southeast
Child and Family Services with 20 years of experience in the field of social
work. One of the purposes of her testimony was to describe the conditions
on the Little Grand Rapids reserve which was the home reserve of Tracia
Owen. Little Grand Rapids was described as lacking efficient infrastructure,
overburdened by poverty and isolation, whose population was largely
unemployed, undereducated, marginalized with health, alcohol and crime
problems. Because of lack of housing, overcrowding and the lack of
infrastructure, people who are needed to help support the community cannot
live there and are flown in throughout the week. There are approximately
525 children under age, 206 children in care and because of inadequate
funds (approximately $424,000) when the needs warrant $1,000,000.00,the
community is unhealthy in all senses. As a reserve it is under federal
jurisdiction and apparently considerably underfunded with respect to the
most basic needs. Because of such things as travel costs (bringing people in)
and training costs (train local people because no one wants to move there to
live) it is impossible to run a child welfare system as it should be run.
Money flows for the apprehension of children rather than the support for the
children and their families in the community.
[129] Ms Lister argues that in light of the severe problems facing child
welfare services in an unhealthy community like Little Grand Rapids one
has to consider different approaches and different services. Such a
community needs to be raised in an integrated, developmental, holistic,
lifespan way. If the community becomes healthy the child will become
healthy. Shared parenting with multiple caregivers (extended family) and a
sense of connectedness to the community are essential goals. She would
argue that without the child having a sense of belonging during this time of
identity formation and shared cultural values, they will be lost no matter
30