September 29, 2005

First Nations Child Abuse

On September 27th, Rafe Mair interviewed Shawn Atleo, spokesperson for the Nuu-Chah-Nulth Tribal Council. The Council issued a news release on September 24th, regarding a meeting with Minister of Children and Family Development, Stan Hagen, and Opposition Leader, Carole James. The release stated: "This is an important opportunity to address and to overcome cultural misunderstandings stemming from the handling of the MCFD Review of the death of the late Sherry Charlie."After naming the child who died at the age of 19 months at the hand of her uncle, the release went on to mention "strong cultural beliefs". The release did not elaborate on those beliefs, but Rafe Mair succeeded in getting the Nuu-Chah-Nulth spokesperson to say that the cultural laws dictated that neither the name of the deceased nor her image was to be used publicly. Hagen and James agreed not to do that.

Mair asked the Nuu-Chah-Nulth spokesperson whether everyone in the community wouldn't have known about the problems with the uncle with whom the young child was placed. Rather than addressing the question, the spokesperson reiterated the need to understand the "social ills" in First Nations. There are enormous social ills, including having almost one third of all children-in-care coming from First Nations, but there are also First Nations' politics that could get in the way of protecting children. It is an open secret that band politics often result in insiders getting housing and outsiders not, insiders getting jobs and outsiders not, insiders getting the turn of a blind eye and outsiders not. Justice is not done by turning a blind eye to what is common knowledge in the name of political correctness. A New Relationship demands honesty.

It is unacceptable for the Nuu-Chah-Nulth to deny that members of its community, and her mother, knew that the young child was being placed in the home of a violent offender. It is political correctness gone mad for the general community not to talk about that obvious fact. The Nuu-Chah-Nulth news release stated: "We, as Nuu-Chah-Nulth leaders, fully expect provincial government leaders to act in a manner consistent with the spirit and intent of the New Relationship, which is supported by First Nations leaders and the Government of British Columbia." The "New Relationship" is the Campbell government's initiative to change how it relates to First Nations; it does not include casting a blind eye to child abuse. It does recite the "great goals", one of which is "To build the best system of support in Canada for persons with disabilities, special needs, children at risk and seniors." That would suggest dealing with the disproportionate amount of child abuse and neglect in First Nation communities.

In the Throne Speech, the Campbell government committed to "…eliminate, within 10 years, the inequities that have plagued First Nations and aboriginal people throughout Canada's history." An enormous step would be to eliminate, within 10 years, the inequities with respect to protection of children. That requires goals that can be measured and polices that can be changed when progress is not being achieved. It requires mutual respect rather than the fear of the consequences from describing what is patently clear to those who need not worry about speaking the truth.