Six Meeting of First Nations regional chiefs accused their nationwide chief of stoking division on the difficulty of child-welfare reform, suggesting she could also be too cozy with the Canadian authorities, a letter obtained by CBC Indigenous reveals.
The blowback comes after Nationwide Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak wrote to Cindy Blackstock, government director of the First Nations Baby and Household Caring Society, asking how the society plans to enhance on a $47.8-billion federal provide to overtake the system, which the chiefs rejected final fall.
On Jan. 14, Woodhouse Nepinak wrote that “the AFN stays fairly involved” after the Liberal authorities determined to hunt a carveout take care of chiefs in Ontario, whereas refusing to resume negotiations nationally.
In response, greater than half of the meeting’s government committee accused Woodhouse Nepinak of letting Canada off the hook.
“It’s Canada — not the Caring Society — that have to be held accountable,” the regional chiefs wrote on Jan. 15.
“Shifting this accountability and stoking division undermines the collective efforts of the Chiefs-in-Meeting and regional management.”
The letter is signed by regional chiefs Joanna Bernard (New Brunswick), Ghislain Picard (Quebec-Labrador), Bobby Cameron (Saskatchewan), George Mackenzie (N.W.T.), Terry Teegee (B.C.) and Kluane Adamek (Yukon).
They went on to touch upon the optics across the letter, noting that Canada’s authorized counsel, Paul Vickery, additionally wrote to the Caring Society — digging in on Ottawa’s place — on the identical day as Woodhouse Nepinak.
“Your feedback and timing of this letter coinciding with the Justice Canada correspondence calls into query the required independence of the Nationwide Chief from the Liberal Social gathering and the Authorities of Canada, writ giant,” the regional chiefs wrote.
Woodhouse Nepinak responded on Jan. 31 in a three-page letter, additionally obtained by CBC Indigenous, rejecting the issues.
“With respect to your references to a letter of Jan. 14, 2025, from Justice Canada, I can affirm that I used to be not in receipt of any such letter,” she wrote.
“Any inferences as to my independence are subsequently unfounded, inappropriate and malicious.”
Woodhouse Nepinak’s ties to the Liberal Social gathering are nicely documented.
She is a former Manitoba president of the Liberal Social gathering’s Indigenous Peoples Fee; she labored on Justin Trudeau’s 2015 election marketing campaign; and Elections Canada recorded 149 political donations underneath her title — all to the Liberal Social gathering of Canada.
CBC Information has contacted her workplace for remark however didn’t obtain a response earlier than this story printed.
Baby welfare reform deal in danger
The $47.8-billion provide aimed to partially settle an 18-year-old criticism on the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, the place AFN and the Caring Society are co-complainants.
Collectively, they proved that Canada was racially discriminating in opposition to First Nations children on reserves and within the Yukon since 1991 by chronically underfunding youngster and household providers of their communities.
In rejecting the deal, chiefs voted to determine a brand new Nationwide Kids’s Chiefs Fee (NCCC) to guide renewed talks, whereas urging Canada to return to the desk with an up to date mandate.
Thus far, Canada has refused, and Vickery’s letter to the Caring Society flatly rejected calls for that Canada increase this system to kids dwelling off reserve and keep the tribunal’s jurisdiction indefinitely.
Of their letter, the regional chiefs accused the AFN of inaction and failing to help the brand new fee.
“The areas have been working diligently to advance the resolutions whereas aiding the NCCC in assembly their mandate,” the regional chiefs wrote.
“In reality, AFN supporting the NCCC would alleviate the reliance on the areas filling a essential hole left by the AFN’s inaction on this matter.”
Woodhouse Nepinak replied by agreeing totally that the fee ought to lead the work in collaboration with the AFN, if “negotiations of a long-term reform settlement turn out to be out there,” that’s.
“Nevertheless colleagues, we discover ourselves confronted with affirmation by Canada that they won’t have interaction with the AFN, or presumably every other entity together with the NCCC, on a nationwide degree settlement,” she wrote.
“The prime minister has additionally introduced his resignation, which can doubtless consequence [in] a delay in cupboard’s consideration of a revised mandate. Lastly, different federal events have publicly expressed their need to topple the federal government, which means that an election might be forthcoming as quickly as subsequent spring.”
Woodhouse Nepinak referred to as it “totally honest” for the AFN to query Blackstock in mild of an meeting decision mandating the Caring Society to “lead any course of to realize non-discrimination” on youngster welfare and Jordan’s Precept.
The regional chiefs, nevertheless, pressured that the chiefs’ rejection of the deal wasn’t made calmly, and was a name for a complete, equitable and inclusive course of all of them should help.
“It’s essential that the AFN management respects this mandate and works alongside the NCCC to safe a significant pathway ahead for long-term reform,” they wrote.
“Collectively, we are able to be certain that systemic discrimination is really eradicated, and the dignity and rights of all First Nations kids and households are upheld.”
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