There has been considerable interest and many questions asked of our board as to the duties and responsibilities of the newly formed BC Métis Federation Métis Child Welfare Department since its launch in March.

The over arching purpose of the newly formed Child Welfare Department can be summed up in a single sentence. It is to act in a manner consistent with the Constitution Act 1982, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to implement all relevant recommendations of Grand Chief Ed John’s report to insure that children of BC Métis Federation members are raised within their community and immersed in their culture.

The Child Welfare Department was formed with the sole purpose to insure the best interests of our children and to protect their constitutional Indigenous rights.

The following document has been put together using a specific example to illustrate the concepts, foundations, and legal principles related to Custom Adoption and the actions the BC Métis Federation Child Welfare Department may pursue to insure its mandate is achieved.

The long term goal of the BC Métis Federation Child Welfare Department is to put an end to the 60’s scoop which has eroded our culture for decades. In solidarity with the growing number of other Aboriginal communities we, in a tangible way, join the movement to regain the rightful control of our children and the future of our culture.

Please read the document carefully. It will broaden your understanding of the case of little SS and help our members to be aware of their rights as Métis people in British Columbia.

[ilink url=”https://bcmetis.com/wp-content/uploads/BC-Metis-Federation-Department-Case-Study-of-SS-March-2018.pdf” style=”download”]Click here to read the Child Welfare Case Study Discussion Paper.[/ilink]