Chief worried that foster children will lose native heritage

By Amanda Monahan

Chief R. James Marsden of the Alderville First Nations speaks on behalf of First Nations children who are in foster care. Photo by Amanda Monahan

A local First Nations chief is working towards creating a foster care destination for native children.

Chief R. Donald Maracle of the Mohawks in the Bay of Quinte and Chief R. James Marsden of the Alderville First Nations were vocal guests at a press conference on Tuesday. Their concerns were expressed during the announcement of the amalgamation of the Hastings Children’s Aid Society, and the Children’s Aid Societies of Northumberland and Prince Edward County.

Chief Marsden hopes the amalgamation will benefit First Nations children but their big concern would be the customary care, which is a system that integrates the traditions and customs of First Nations children. He said there are guidelines parents must follow which is why they aren’t stepping to the plate for foster care. He added there’s got to be a different process to finding families of First Nations foster children because they want their culture.

Chief Marsden has a goal of having a destination for First Nations children within the next five years, but it’s not going to be through the CAS.

“It’s going to be on the same principle but we want to do all our own programming. There’s so much controversy especially with CAS or something, getting the native child and having them never seen again,” he said in an interview.

“Our vision is to have our own destination of our own to look after our kids, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Chief Maracle said through his experiences, chiefs tend to be very concerned about the rising numbers of First Nations children in foster homes.

“Poverty has a lot to do with children being taken into care. A lot of families can’t find affordable housing, the rising energy cost for hydro and fuel are forcing a lot of people to not being able to pay those kinds of bills and buy new clothes for their children and have proper nutrition,” he said during the press conference.

He said there are way too many people on the poor end of the spectrum depending on local food banks to survive. He thinks one of the main issues the CAS should do is put pressure on the government to address poverty that not only affects the adults.

“Children need to have a steady home environment something that is dependable. They don’t need the stresses of being without hydro or without food to be able to interact with other children in a healthy way,” he said.

Too often the First Nations people are severely marginalized and unemployed, he said, citing education at all levels as one method to correct the social gap between First Nations people and other Canadians. He said education could help them escape the trap of poverty and have the means to look after their own families.

“I think the goal of every society should be that we don’t have a lot of children in care, that our society is functioning properly so that we don’t have these kinds of issues of family neglect and abuse,” he said.

Chief Maracle said the amalgamation of the three local societies is a way for them to create efficiency.

“As long as the services are provided and are culturally appropriate in the needs and goals and aspirations of First Nations people then we support it,” he said during an interview.

The merger was a move to improve accessibility, a change that Marilyn Curson, board chairwoman of Northumberland CAS, hopes is the only one the public will see.

“The availability of site is going to remain as they are, so there will be no change that way. But the hope and the promise is that by joining together we’ll be able to improve our services where the need arises and take advantage of what’s out there for the enhancement of the services for the children,” she said.

There also won’t be many changes with staff according to Curson. She said there will be some minor reductions in terms of senior leadership as one organization is not going to necessarily require as many senior managers and directors. They are not anticipating any reductions to the front line staff.

All three agencies will each receive a one-time grant to retire all prior debts in 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 from the ministry, giving them a clean slate for when it is all finalized. They expect to hear the final decision of approval within 60 days. Their goal is to have the new agency constituted and operating by April 1, 2012.