Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The legacy • 191Call to Action:3) We call upon all levels of government to fully implement Jordan’s Principle.Improving outcomes for childrenAlthough there is now considerable Aboriginal control of child-welfare services,Aboriginal agencies still struggle for adequate funding. There is a need for more fundingand research into preventive services that can support Aboriginal families. At thesame time, many of the conditions that result in disproportionate Aboriginal involvementin the child-welfare system are related to more intractable legacies of residentialschools, including poverty, addictions, and domestic and sexual violence. Webelieve that in order to redress the legacy of residential schools and to move towardsmore respectful and healthy relationships, the Government of Canada, in meaningfulconsultation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, must recognize andaddress the broader context of the child-welfare crisis. This includes matters of childpoverty, housing, water, sanitation, food security, family violence, addictions, andeducational inequities. Effective child-welfare reform will require both measureabletargets and timelines for reducing the numbers and proportion of Aboriginal childrenin care, greater consistency in the system’s regulatory framework, and the acknowledgementof the central role of Aboriginal agencies.Canada has rejected First Nations’ demands to operate services in accordancewith traditional laws and traditional justice systems. By contrast, in the United States,tribal courts have played an important role in the child-welfare system since 1978.These courts have exclusive jurisdiction over custody proceedings involving NativeAmerican children living on a reservation. They may also play a role in Native Americanchild-custody cases where the child lives outside a reservation. 35 While not perfect, theAmerican system has led to greater tribal authority over the placement of Indigenouschildren, as well as the expansion of family preservation programs. Indigenous childrenare still removed from their homes in disproportionately high numbers, but therate of overrepresentation has decreased. The rate of placement with non-Indigenouscaregivers has also decreased. 36Call to Action4) We call upon the federal government to enact Aboriginal child-welfare legislationthat establishes national standards for Aboriginal child apprehension and custodycases and includes principles that: