SUBSCRIBE

Get new posts by email:

How to Use this Blog

CHANGES to format AGAIN - click older posts!
BOOZHOO! We've amassed tons of information and important history on this blog since 2010. If you have a keyword, use the search box below. Also check out the reference section above. If you have a question or need help searching, use the contact form at the bottom of the blog.

PLEASE follow this website by clicking the button above or subscribe.

We want you to use BOOKSHOP! (the editor will earn a small amount of money or commission. (we thank you) (that is our disclaimer statement)

This is a blog. It is not a peer-reviewed journal, not a sponsored publication... The ideas, news and thoughts posted are sourced… or written by the editor or contributors.

Blogger forced a change to our design so please SCROLL past the posts for lots more information.

Support Info: If you are a Survivor and need emotional support, a national crisis line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week: Residential School Survivor Support Line: 1-866-925-4419. Additional Health Support Information: Emotional, cultural, and professional support services are also available to Survivors and their families through the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program. Services can be accessed on an individual, family, or group basis.” These & regional support phone numbers are found at https://nctr.ca/contact/survivors/ . THANK YOU MEGWETCH for reading

NEED HELP WITH AN ADOPTEE SEARCH? Have questions? Use comment form at the bottom of this website.

email: tracelara@pm.me

SEARCH

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Red Hoop Talk EP 49: CELEBRATE WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH WITH LAUGHTER

 

The Association on American Indian Affairs 

#WOMENS HISTORY​ MONTH 

Visit with amazing Native women who inspire us! 

JACKIE CROW SHOE is Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and an Indian Child Welfare Act advocate, and Policy Associate with the University of Southern Maine. She is also a Consulting Organization to the Capacity Building Center for Tribes that serves to support Tribal child welfare professionals. 

SIENA EAST is Choctaw and Isleta Pueblo and a writer, comedian, and actress based in Los Angeles. She studied Film and Television Production at New York University. You can find Siena on Instagram, Twitter, and www.sienaeast.com. 

 PURA FE is Tuscarora and Taino and an award-winning singer-songwriter, musician and activist. She is the founding member of the internationally renowned Native women’s acapella trio, Ulali. She currently lives in Northern Saskatchewan. Read more about her and listen to her music at www.purafe.com. 

SANDY WHITE HAWK is Sicangu Lakota and an adoptee from the Rosebud Reservation, South Dakota. She is the founder and Director of First Nations Repatriation Institute, which helps First Nations people impacted by foster care or adoption return home and reclaim their identity. Sandy also serves as a board member for the Association on American Indian Affairs.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

How to Create an Indigenous Child Welfare System

The Splatsin, among the first nation to create its own, will share hard-won knowledge in an upcoming webinar.

SOURCE:Katie Hyslop March 23, 2021 | TheTyee.ca

It’s been over a year since a federal law affirming the right of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples to run their own child welfare systems came into force.

Yet over half of the children in government care nationally and two-thirds of kids in care in B.C. are still Indigenous, despite making up just 10 per cent of all children.

Bill C-92 allows communities to create their own child welfare systems and services, but implementation is just beginning and no funding is yet confirmed, with the Assembly of First Nations and federal government still in discussions.

The Assembly of First Nations and the First Nations Leadership Council have held some information sessions and town halls on creating and operating child welfare systems in B.C.

But Kukpi7 (Chief) Wayne Christian of the Splatsin of the Secwepemc Nation said they haven’t answered all the questions about what it means to have jurisdiction over child welfare.

And he should know. Christian helped spearhead a movement in 1980 that saw the Splatsin become one of the very few First Nations in Canada to create and operate its own child welfare system. It continues to operate today.

And he’ll share the lessons learned in a two-day webinar for other First Nations Wednesday and Thursday.

“I wanted the opportunity to explain to people in a learning environment what is it we actually do. And what does it mean in terms of jurisdiction, because jurisdiction, in essence, is having the resources and making decisions for your children,” he said.

“Our Elders told us back in 1979, when we started the process, this is our inherent law before the white people imposed their law on us, this is how we did it. And so that’s what we codified with our Elders at the time, and that’s what we’ve been operating with now for four decades.

“We know where every child is and who they are in our community,” said Christian. In the community of about 1,000 people just outside Enderby, B.C., 30 to 35 children are in care at all times, he said, a rate that hasn’t changed much since the community numbered 350 in 1980.

“Every child that’s been born in that four decades, we know. And I think that’s the key is that we know, and then they know, who they are and who they’re connected to.”

The law — C-92: An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families — came into effect in January 2020 as a result of a national outcry over the disproportionate number of Indigenous youth in care, as well as the federal government’s systematic underfunding of child and family services in First Nations and Inuit communities.

But 39 years earlier, when the Splatsin of the Secwepemc Nation were pushing for child welfare jurisdiction, it didn’t have national support.

Instead, it had the support of several B.C. First Nations who joined them in a caravan to then-deputy premier Grace McCarthy’s Vancouver house on Thanksgiving weekend to demand jurisdiction over their children’s welfare.

With help from these nations, along with George Manuel, then-Grand Chief of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, human rights lawyer Louise Mandell and Jacob Marule, an exiled member of the South African National Congress, the Splatsin were able to hash out a jurisdiction agreement with McCarthy.

The federal government did not stand in the Splatsin’s way of reclaiming its child welfare services, and ultimately the Splatsin’s jurisdiction was federally and provincially recognized.

But the federal government would not allow several dozen other First Nations to follow suit.

“I think there was about 40 to 45 communities, and it would have made a big difference if they were able to stand up their laws at that time. But Indian Affairs said no to them,” Christian said.

Which is why the Splatsin of the Secwepemc Nation are holding these webinars.

“It’s our way of thanking people for helping us back then, because without that groundswell of support from all the communities, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we’ve achieved back in 1980,” Christian said, adding that Mandell will address the legal aspects of the win during the webinar.

Many of the roadblocks the Splatsin have and continue to face in delivering child welfare services are ones that other First Nations communities will grapple with, too.

For example, retaining control over services on and off reserve land will mean dealing with both the provincial and federal governments. As recently as a decade ago, the Splatsin were in conflict with a provincial government that refused to acknowledge their jurisdiction over Splatsin children who lived outside of the community.

“We were going to file a constitutional challenge,” Christian said, but five years ago the deputy minister of children and family development agreed to sign a memorandum of understanding with the nation that reaffirmed B.C.’s acknowledgement of Splatsin jurisdiction.

Nations will also need to determine how they used to govern themselves before colonization and how to adapt those laws into a modern-day child welfare system.

“The essence of what we do and follow is related to the wisdom of our old people,” Christian said, adding it’s the same in many other nations.

Then there are several other matters: federal funding, both initial capital and long-term operating funds; hiring and training personnel; gathering and storing community members’ data; developing culturally relevant child, youth and family programming; developing an appeals process; sourcing and funding temporary caregivers; and liaising with other health and social services that community members use.

Monty Montgomery, associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s school of social work, said finding the right people to work in an Indigenous-run child welfare system isn’t as easy as hiring for a typical service.

“It can be difficult work. There is a sacred responsibility in looking after our young people and working with our young people, our Elders tell us this,” said Montgomery, who is of Mi’kmaq and Irish-Canadian descent.

“And we need to be trained in ways that we understand both the culture and the dynamics of the communities, plus mainstream ways.”

Christian said federal funding has not been easy to maintain. The federal government still pressures the Splatsin to change its child welfare system to a Delegated Aboriginal Agency format, where the offices would be staffed by mostly Indigenous people but operate under provincial government laws and jurisdiction, he said.

“I really have a hard time with the federal government, because they don’t understand jurisdiction,” Christian said. “So when we’re in discussion with them, we’re continuously educating them in terms of what it actually means.”

Because of the lack of federal funding for Indigenous child welfare jurisdiction so far, Montgomery predicts some First Nations will join together to create their own delegated agencies and apply for federal funding that way. But again, they would have to operate under provincial child welfare rules. For a band or nation to do it on their own, Montgomery isn’t sure what operational funding they could access at the moment.

The barriers are real, and not every community or nation will be ready to open and operate their own child welfare system any time soon. But it can be done, Christian said.

“I think at times we get disheartened or so many roadblocks get put in place that people give up,” he said. “And you can’t afford to give up on your children, you have a responsibility to them.”  [Tyee]

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

HUGE NEWS! Deb Haaland makes history as first Indigenous cabinet secretary

 

 

In a historic vote on Monday, Debra Haaland was confirmed as President Biden’s Interior secretary. As a member of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, she will be the first Native American cabinet secretary in U.S. history.

Haaland, a former representative from New Mexico, was confirmed with a 51 to 40 split in the Senate, the narrowest margin of any of Biden’s cabinet picks so far. At the helm of the Department of the Interior, which houses the Department of Indian Affairs, she will oversee 500 million acres of public land, including the national parks system and oil and gas drilling on federal land. The Interior has an important part to play in tackling climate change, as one-quarter of all U.S. emissions can be attributed to fossil fuels extracted on these lands.

READ: Deb Haaland makes history as first Indigenous cabinet secretary

Saturday, March 6, 2021

Better late than never

 South Dakota House Passes Resolution Acknowledging Boarding Schools

The South Dakota State Capitol building in Pierre, S.D.

PIERRE, S.D. — The South Dakota State House of Representatives passed a resolution on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, acknowledging and honoring the survivors of American Indian boarding schools. House Concurrent Resolution 6014 was introduced and sponsored by State Rep. Peri Pourier (D—Pine Ridge), who is an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe. 

“This passage from the House of Representatives speaks volumes towards reconciliation,” said South Dakota Representative Peri Pourier to Native News Online. “The acknowledgement of the suffering and abuse while honoring survivors’ resiliency is long overdue.” 

The resolution was adopted in a 52-17 vote. 

Boarding schools for American Indian children began in 1860 when Methodist missionary James Wilbur established a vocational Indian Boarding School on the Yakima Indian Reservation in the state of Washington as part of the Yakama Indian Agency. 

KEEP READING

Wednesday, March 3, 2021

ADOPTEES: Petitioning a Court for Birth Records


We're excited to announce an upcoming online event that features adoptees who have successfully obtained court orders in their states to release their own records, including birth records and, in some cases, adoption agency records.

Join us on Sunday, March 21 as I talk with Rudy Owens and Courtney Humbaugh about their experiences in seeking court orders to release their own records in Michigan and Georgia. We'll discuss the ins and outs of the legal process, whether or how to work with an attorney, and what it looks like when an adopted person seeks a court order to get his or her own birth and adoption records.

I'll also chime in on my own experience in the District of Columbia as well as what the process looks like as an attorney in Minnesota and other states. - Attorney Gregory D. Luce

The event is Sunday, March 21, 2021, at 1pm Pacific/4pm Eastern. Details and registration are here

 LINK 

Vision Maker Media Celebrates Women’s History Month

 


...in March with Online Film Event and Panel Discussion Featuring Prominent Indigenous Women Leaders

LINCOLN, Neb., March 2, 2021 — Vision Maker Media (VMM) is marking its 45th anniversary in 2021 with a yearlong celebration of free “commUNITY” events, including thematic online film screenings, online virtual programs and more. To celebrate Women’s History Month in March, VMM will launch its first online program of 2021, a community-themed online film streaming event, titled “commUNITY: Herald Native Women.”  All March programs are free and open to the public but registration is required. The Cherokee Nation Film Office is a sponsor of VMM’s 45th anniversary events.

The March celebration will include a program of seven films — two short and five feature-length documentaries — all produced and/or directed by women, and a panel discussion organized in partnership with Americans for Indian Opportunity (AIO). Founded in 1970 by LaDonna Harris (Comanche), AIO advances, from an Indigenous worldview, the cultural, political and economic rights of Indigenous peoples in the United States and around the world.

The seven films will be available all month for streaming 24/7 at visionmakermedia.org. The films portray Native women in leadership, coming of age, and language revitalization. All are available worldwide. For more information about the films and to register, visit visionmakermedia.org.

“Making Matriarchs – Indigenous Values-Based Leadership Development,” a panel discussion featuring four Native women leaders who are among the more than 250 graduates of AIO’s Ambassadors Program, will take place via Zoom on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. CST. AIO’s Ambassadors Program is the only national leadership training that encourages Native leaders to weave their traditional tribal values in a contemporary reality in order to affect positive social change and advance human rights.

“Americans for Indian Opportunity is pleased to partner with Vision Maker Media during Women’s History Month as we showcase some of the many contributions of Indigenous women to American society,” says AIO Executive Director Laura Harris (Comanche). “Together, we can amplify Native voices, build awareness and understanding, and share a positive and contemporary Indigenous narrative.”

Panel participants include: Francene Blythe-Lewis (Diné, Sisseton-Wahpeton, Eastern Cherokee), executive director, Vision Maker Media (introduction); Laura Harris (Comanche), executive director, Americans for Indian Opportunity (moderator); Janeen Comenote (Quinault/Hesquiaht/Oglala), executive director, National Urban Indian Family Coalition (panelist); Brittany Schulman (Waccama Siouan), director of leadership initiatives, AIO (panelist) and Lindsay Early, deputy director, National Indian Child Welfare Association (panelist). The fourth panelist is unconfirmed at press time.

The panelists will discuss the importance of female leadership and the influence of matriarchy. They will talk about the work they do for social change and education, and how they utilize the teachings of the AIO Ambassadors Program and their “Medicine” (personal strengths and talents) for the good of their communities and humanity. 


 

 


Happy Visitors!

They Took Us Away

They Took Us Away
click image to see more and read more

SIXTIES SCOOP NEWS

Blog Archive

Most READ Posts

Bookshop

Canada's Residential Schools

The religious organizations that operated the schools — the Anglican Church of Canada, Presbyterian Church in Canada, United Church of Canada, Jesuits of English Canada and some Catholic groups — in 2015 expressed regret for the “well-documented” abuses. The Catholic Church has never offered an official apology, something that Trudeau and others have repeatedly called for.

You are not alone

You are not alone

What our Nations are up against!

What our Nations are up against!

To Veronica Brown

Veronica, we adult adoptees are thinking of you today and every day. We will be here when you need us. Your journey in the adopted life has begun, nothing can revoke that now, the damage cannot be undone. Be courageous, you have what no adoptee before you has had; a strong group of adult adoptees who know your story, who are behind you and will always be so.

Did you know?

Did you know?
lakota.cc/16I9p4D

WATCH THIS

Diane Tells His Name


click photo

60s Scoop Survivors Legal Support

GO HERE: https://www.gluckstein.com/sixties-scoop-survivors

Lost Birds on Al Jazeera Fault Lines

Lost Birds on Al Jazeera Fault Lines
click to read and listen about Trace, Diane, Julie and Suzie

ADOPTION TRUTH

As the single largest unregulated industry in the United States, adoption is viewed as a benevolent action that results in the formation of “forever families.”
The truth is that it is a very lucrative business with a known sales pitch. With profits last estimated at over $1.44 billion dollars a year, mothers who consider adoption for their babies need to be very aware that all of this promotion clouds the facts and only though independent research can they get an accurate account of what life might be like for both them and their child after signing the adoption paperwork.

NEW MEMOIR

Original Birth Certificate Map in the USA

Why tribes do not recommend the DNA swab

Rebecca Tallbear entitled: “DNA, Blood, and Racializing the Tribe”, bearing out what I only inferred:

Detailed discussion of the Bering Strait theory and other scientific theories about the population of the modern-day Americas is beyond the scope of this essay. However, it should be noted that Indian people have expressed suspicion that DNA analysis is a tool that scientists will use to support theories about the origins of tribal people that contradict tribal oral histories and origin stories. Perhaps more important,the alternative origin stories of scientists are seen as intending to weaken tribal land and other legal claims (and even diminish a history of colonialism?) that are supported in U.S. federal and tribal law. As genetic evidence has already been used to resolve land conflicts in Asian and Eastern European countries, this is not an unfounded fear.

GOOGLE

In some cases, companies may even take it upon themselves to control the narrative according to their own politics and professed values, with no need for government intervention. For example: Google, the most powerful information company in the world, has been reported to fix its algorithms to promote, demote, and disappear content according to undisclosed internal “fairness” guidelines. This was revealed by a whistleblower named Zach Vorhies in his almost completely ignored book, Google Leaks, and by Project Veritas, in a sting operation against Jen Gennai, Google’s Head of Responsible Innovation. In their benevolent desire to protect us from hate speech and disinformation, Google/YouTube immediately removed the original Project Veritas video from the Internet. - https://desultoryheroics.com/2023/11/12/internet-censorship-everywhere-all-at-once

Google Followers