First Nations Children's Action Research and Education Service
Department of Educational Policy Studies, Faculty of Education 7-104 Education North, University of Alberta T6G 2G5 Edmonton, AB, Canada

Today on Michael Enright's last day on @CBCSunday Edition, Cindy Blackstock discusses how COVID 19 reveals ongoing systemic inequities for First Nations kids & families, & the federal, provincial and institutional refusal to end them. First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

**Please donate if you can to help OUTpost stay open! Since 2014, the CHEW Project has worked with sexual and gender diverse youth in Edmonton to survive, heal and find hope. Now, they need your help after the UCP government cut funding. Donate Here: https://my.charitableimpact.com/grou/hundred-helping-hands

Dr. Rai Reece: "Given the tapestry of colonial systems of control, and our current socio-political climate regarding anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism, my thinking kept cycling back to how the making of Canada as a white settler country relied upon the destabilizing of Indigenous socio-political systems in tandem with the implementation of the legally sanctioned practice of Black slavery through social control, displacement and incarceration."

Alanis Obomsawin's excellent film about the life and legacy of Jordan River Anderson is now playing on TVO! Abenaki director Alanis Obomsawin tells the story of Jordan River Anderson who spent all five years of his short life in hospital while the federal and Manitoba governments argued over who was responsible for his care. Jordan's Principle was passed into law in 2007 by the House of Commons to ensure that First Nations children would have equal access to government-funded services as the rest of the Canadian population. Lawyers and activists have continued their fight to ensure that Jordan's Principle is enforced by the federal government.

If you want to fight systemic racism in Canada, it doesn't take coming up with new strategies. First Nations have been doing this forever . . . As always, Canada continues to racially discriminate against First Nations kids and families by failing to provide services that would prevent kids from being taken from their homes by child welfare. These are basic services that address poverty, which is THE #1 REASON that child welfare removes First Nations kids from their homes. T...hese removals are preventable if we support kids and families, and it is the federal government's legal responsibility to do so, because of their own Indian Act (which is one of Canada's founding racist documents. Think about it: "Indian status" is based on blood quantum/'race'). The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the feds to pay up in their 2016 ruling, and Indigenous Services Canada is still denying and delaying funding. If you want to work on addressing systemic racism in Canada, help address this issue by pressing the federal government to follow the Tribunal's orders; there have been 10 non-compliance orders issued by the Tribunal since its January 2016 ruling. Canada is also fighting the Tribunal's order for the feds to pay compensation to kids taken into care and their familial caretakers. You can learn more and find things to do to help here: https://fncaringsociety.com/i-am-witness First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada

In this podcast, Cindy Blackstock outlines The Breath of Life Theory and how it informs the Caring Societys approach to addressing systemic discrimination and injustices. First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada https://voiced.ca/podca/lex-conversations-cindy-blackstock/

Watch this interview with Cindy Blackstock and Rawlson King on systemic racism in Canada and what needs to change.

This is an excellent resource that shows how systemic racism is baked into Canadian law and how the 'rule of law' has been deployed as a 'rule of injustice' for First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples in Canada. #ColonialRuleofLaw https://fncaringsociety.com//fi/colonial_rule_of_law_2.pdf

Orlando & I just dropped off some Spirit Bear calendars to Food For Thought Edmonton to include in the food hampers theyre delivering to hungry school kids in #YEG during the pandemic. We hope kids get them soon so they can celebrate #BearWitnessDay with @CaringSociety! https://fncaringsociety.com/BearWitness

Please join the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada to celebrate Spirit Bear's birthday and #BearWitnessDay. Four years ago on May 10, 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered Canada to fully implement #JordansPrinciple. There are now 10 non-compliance orders, which means that we still have to push the government to fully implement Jordan's Principle and honor all the the Tribunal's rulings to ensure First Nations kids have equitable services and education. Show your support by taking part in #BearWitnessDay online with your fave teddy bear. Use the hashtags above and post images on Facebook and twitter of you with your bear to help educate others and ensure the government acts quickly.

From 2005 to 2019, approximately $338 million dollars of the Child Special Allowance (CSA) funds meant for First Nations children in care were stolen by the provincial government. This is an illegal action. We have a government trying to justify their actions, wiping their hands clean from the claw backs of the CSA by protecting themselves from any legal recourse through Bill 34, stated Chief Karen Batson of Pine Creek First

"A scan of existing literature reveals that children in care are at a heightened risk of harm from not only the current COVID-19 pandemic, but in many cases, from government policies being implemented to contain the epidemic." https://cwrp.ca//Child%20Welfare%20and%20Pandemics%20Liter

Check out the brand new issue of the First Peoples Child and Family Review from First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. Download it for free: https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/index

"This ruling is such good news for First Nations children and families and comes at a time when the world needs to know justice can pierce through the most difficult of times, said Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society that first filed the human rights complaint in Feb. 2007, along with the Assembly of First Nations."https://aptnnews.ca//tribunal-orders-canada-to-compensate/

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada posted Spirit Bear's 1st book online so kids can read it while they're #Hibernating4Health! Click on the twitter link for a St. Patrick's Day coloring sheet and the link to the book. https://twitter.com/SpiritBear/status/1239968920758411264

Fantastic Sunday evening w/ Alanis Obomsawin & Deanna Wolf Ear at the Edmonton premier of Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger, a brilliant tribute to Jordan's life & legacy. Thanks to Metro Cinema Dreamspeakers Film Festival SkirtsAfire Festival First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada First Nations Health Consortium and Geraldine Carr for the photos!

Our free screening of JORDAN RIVER ANDERSON: THE MESSENGER is part of The Female Gaze, our celebration of women in film! Find our other fantastic films online at metrocinema.org.

A primer on Jordan's Principle from First Nations Children's Action Research and Education Service - fncares, one of our screening partners for JORDAN RIVER AND...ERSON: THE MESSENGER! Join us on March 8 for a free screening of Alanis Obomsawin's powerful documentary, plus a post-show panel on Jordan's Principle.

This Sunday, March 8, 7pm: Edmonton premiere of Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger, Metro Cinema. This is a FREE screening. Legendary Abenaki Director Alanis Obomsawin and Deanna Wolf Ear from the First Nations Health Consortium will be there for a Q&A following the film. Don't miss it! NFB Dreamspeakers Festival Society SkirtsAfire Festival Femalegaze2020 https://www.facebook.com/events/683244408878673/

Cindy Blackstock: "While they are working on the process, and there has been some progress, Canada is continuing its efforts to quash all financial compensation.'" "And in the two years it took for the Trudeau government to respond to tribunal orders to increase funding to these agencies, 48 First Nations children died in Ontario connected to child welfare."

We're so lucky to have Alanis Obomsawin in person for our screening of JORDAN RIVER ANDERSON: THE MESSENGER! We celebrate her voice and her legacy on International Womens Day 2020.

A whole week of events on "Justice - Injustice for Indigenous Peoples" hosted by Indigenous Law Students' Association - University of Alberta, March 2 - 6!

Join us at the Metro Cinema in Edmonton March 8, 7pm for a **FREE screening** of Jordan River Anderson, The Messenger and a post-screening discussion with director Alanis Obomsawin and Deanna Wolf Ear from the First Nations Health Consortium. http://www.epkurl.com/email/themessenger/edmonton.html

Check out this new great new resource by Wahkohtowin Law and Governance Lodge on how social workers and service providers can comply with Bill C-92: An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families and support Indigenous Peoples inherent right to jurisdiction over their own child and family services. https://cloudfront.ualberta.ca//bill-c-92-compliance-guide

Demand justice for First Nations children. Read and sign this letter to urge the federal government to drop its request for a judicial review of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal's decision to compensate First Nations kids.

Informative interview with Cindy Blackstock lays out major problems with #BillC92, Canada's new Indigenous child welfare law, and provides historical context of governments ongoing racial discrimination against First Nations children and families.

Read the article, and then watch the video of the lecture here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7tMq0ta0D0&t=475s

Did you know that @SpiritBear has a free Activity Book to go with his Guide to Reconciliation calendar? This is a great way to teach children about how they can participate in reconciliation all year round! Get your calendar here, before they sell out! https://fncaringsociety.com/SpiritBear/calendar

*Read the new Bill C-92 National Standards Brief for Legal Professionals created by @Hadleylf @wahkohtowin. An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families comes into effect January 1st! https://cloudfront.ualberta.ca//bill-c92-national-standard

"If the federal government proceeds with the judicial review, Angus said, it will be in defiance of Parliament which could trigger committee hearings that would see Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller and his officials hauled before MPs to answer questions."

Breaking News: The Federal Court has denied Canada's request for a stay regarding the Tribunal's order for Canada to compensate First Nations children and families.

In case you missed the federal court hearings on compensation for First Nations children on Monday and Tuesday, you can watch the proceedings IN THE MATTER OF ATTORNEY GENERAL OF CANADA v. FIRST NATIONS CHILD AND FAMILY CARING SOCIETY OF CANADA and others here: https://video.isilive.ca/fc/2019-11/english/2019-11-25.html

Watch now! Live stream of federal government challenges of First Nations child welfare compensation order.

On Monday, November 25th, watch the webcast of the Federal Court hearings on the Stay application filed by the federal government to avoid paying First Nations children and families for the government's "willful and reckless" racial discrimination against First Nations children. The hearings will take place in Ottawa at the Supreme Court Building (east room) beginning at 9:30 a.m. EST. Please circulate to others who may be interested and going, and show your support for the kids! @CaringSociety https://video.isilive.ca/fccf/2019-11/english/

Please find below the link to video of Bill C-92: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknowns A panel discussion with Cindy Blackstock and Hadley Friedland. If you would like to see the slides from both speakers, scroll to the bottom of the description on the YouTube page for the links. Feel free to share widely!

Thanks to everyone who showed up to hear Cindy Blackstock and Hadley Friedland speak about the good, the bad and the unknowns of Bill C-92 today at UAlberta's Faculty of Law. Email [email protected] to get video of the talk once it is ready.