English - Ontario Association of Children's Aid Societies

could live on the land and in the community where they originally lived, or could
access services that all other Canadians receive.
As a child welfare professional, no matter how skilled or well intentioned, you remain
part of the colonization legacy of separating Aboriginal children from their families.
This makes your work exceptionally challenging.
. . . ​the system itself is set up to discriminate against First Nations peoples and continues
to implement an agenda of assimilation. The colonial game is still on, it’s only the rules
and players that change (Shane Tabobondung, Chief of Wasauksing First Nation).
D. USING A SOCIAL-DETERMINANTS FRAMEWORK
The vast majority of children are taken into care because of ‘neglect’. When
one closely examines the definition of the term and its key drivers — ​poverty,
inadequate housing and addiction — ​it is debatable whose ‘neglect’ that is: in
the words of the National Children’s Alliance, “It is important to note that two of
the three factors are largely outside of parental control.” The National Council of
Welfare in 2008 . . . ​pointed out that the rates of physical, sexual and emotional
abuse, as well as domestic violence, are no higher in Aboriginal homes than in
non-native homes. In effect, Aboriginal children are being removed from their
families and communities en [masse] because of the neglect of the government
(Stradiotto, 2009).
Working with First Nations, Métis and Inuit families requires a broad context to
understand what is happening in these families. The research above shows that
Aboriginal children are being taken into care often due to conditions of poverty.
Neglect is the primary reason for out-of-home placements, in contrast to
non-Aboriginal children for whom removal is due primarily to domestic violence
and abuse. The Centre for Excellence for Child Welfare determined that
over-representation is caused by a disproportionately high percentage of unsafe
homes due to poor housing, parental substance misuse and poverty.
Social policies have historically had an impact on multiple generations of Aboriginal
peoples. The severing of family and community ties has left a legacy of traumatized
individuals. Left dependent on social institutions, many Aboriginal peoples are unable
to address their individual needs because the ties to traditional healing circle of family,
community and nation has been severed (Menzies, 2007).
Aboriginal peoples are consistently over-represented among the disadvantaged in a
wide range of social and economic measurements.
Raphael (2004) explains that “Social determinants of health are the economic
and social conditions that influence the health of individuals, communities, and
jurisdictions as a whole . . . ​[They] determine the extent to which a person possesses
the physical, social, and personal resources to identify and achieve personal
aspirations, satisfy needs, and cope with the environment . . . ​Social determinants
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