This Bill is first and foremost about children, their safety, security, their well-being, their future. With over 40,000 First Nations children in care, we can all agree we need action and legislation on First Nations child welfare, and we must get it right. Decades of Provincial/Territorial and Federal legislative and policy failures must finally come to an end. The AFN’s goal is to ensure First Nations design, build and implement systems through their own governance, laws and policies. Legislation must respect First Nation jurisdiction, self-government agreements, modern treaties, and the right to self-determination. Any legislation must reflect the principles set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action. The time is long overdue for First Nations to finally regain responsibility over their children and family well-being.
You can read the current version of Bill C-92, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families, here:
http://www.parl.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/bill/C-92/first-reading
Download Bill C-92 Form Letter