SS IS MÉTIS. WHY WASN'T THAT RESPECTED?

You know the girl's story don't you? News networks across the country carried it for several months as the foster parents fought the MCFD in court for good reason. The case is saturated with cultural issues because S.S. is Métis. So is her foster mother Métis.

The term "Métis" derives originally from the French adjective metis that referred to something that was half of one thing and half of another, and then subsequently, referred to someone whose father and mother were of different races, or mixed-race. The Métis are a specific indigenous people group initially developed as the mixed-race descendants of unions between First Nations people and early European settlers.  Over time in Canada, many mixed-race people married within their own group, maintaining contact with their indigenous culture. A distinct and unique culture was developed. Métis are recognized by the Federal government as a segment of the aboriginal community of Canada.

As far as the birth parents and the foster parents were concerned, according to Métis customs, L.M and her husband RB had adopted S.S. That arrangement occurred soon after the child's birth. S.S. has lived with her mom and dad (foster parents) since she was three days old. This is her family. As I described yesterday, she was adopted by virtue of an Aboriginal Custom Adoption, a provision made possible by B.C. legislation. MCFD knows that.

This Métis heritage is a significant factor in this case.

That underscores the offense that the Métis and specifically the foster parents of S.S. feel, that no consultation occurred that demonstrated respect for either Métis culture and practice or wishes or for the Children and Family for that matter. Despite the objections of the BC Métis Federation that continues to protest the relocation of the Métis foster child to a non-Métis family in Ontario, the Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) removed her from the Métis foster parents, who have cared for this little girl for the past 3 years, and who had applied for formal adoption of the child already legally adopted by Aboriginal Custom adoption.

BY ALL MEANS look up the little girl's Facebook page ‘Bring Home Baby S’, and the two websites that tell her story, bringsshome.ca or bringsshome.com.  

THEY DESPERATELY WANTED HER

Adoption of Aboriginal Children

There have been enough of these cases in the past, that long ago some legal parameters were established that would service aboriginal children's care responsibly while respecting their heritage. On the B.C. government's own website the fundamental understandings are unmistakably stated.

When Aboriginal children and teens are in need of care, the B.C. government's own standard states, Research and experience indicates that children who grow up connected to their culture do better. Aboriginal children and teens feel more at home when they live with a family that helps them stay in touch with their culture and community. (BC government's own page states this.)

The government urges competent compassionate caregivers to consider opening their homes to children in need and furthermore appeals to these people to consider adopting the children. One might ask whether there are any special provisos with respect to adoption of aboriginal children and youth? Yes there are and these too are unambiguously stated in the government's own guidelines.

With respect to this particular case of the little Métis girl named S.S. the government page makes provision for an Aboriginal Custom Adoption.  Here is the government's own statement. "Aboriginal children in care need homes with Aboriginal families whenever possible – to help them stay connected with their extended family and community." The agreed upon system or policy established between the B.C. government and the Métis or aboriginal communities is as follows. "The custom adoption process makes it possible for Aboriginal families, organizations and communities to use a culturally appropriate way of planning for Aboriginal children; respects the customs and traditions of the First Nations and/or Aboriginal community of the child; ensures Aboriginal children maintain their cultural, linguistic and spiritual identity. It’s recommend that adoptive parents get a lawyer to help them in their application to have a custom adoption recognized by the Supreme Court."

Foster mom (Métis) and foster dad enjoyed S.S. in their home and family life for three years, unnecessarily long if MCFD intended ever to move her, and during that time, foster parents had in fact conducted an Aboriginal Custom Adoption with approval of the birth parents. They had also applied for formal recognition of this adoption, but MCFD rejected this by filing orders to remove her and move her to Ontario.

Aboriginal Child and Family Development pages on the B.C. Government WebSite

BY ALL MEANS look up the little girl's Facebook page ‘Bring Home Baby S’, and the two websites that tell her story, bringsshome.ca or bringsshome.com. 

LITTLE MÉTIS MISS S.S.

She is in Ontario now. She is with a family consisting of a new mom and dad and two biological siblings older than herself. She is three years old. This is brand new to her, an experience that is two weeks old. On one hand it seems good and right that she would be united with two true sisters. Clearly that is what was in the minds of the Director and caseworkers of the Ministry of Children and Families of British Columbia well over one year ago when they began this protracted process, litigation really. It involved orders filed, hearings, appeals, court appearances.

There is another story, another perspective and that's the one I will take some time to unpack. I will begin the info download today. I have written earlier, so let me rehearse the essential account. Since S.S. was two days old, she lived with foster parents. Neither the girl nor her foster parents may be named because of a publication ban. She is referred to in public documents as S.S. Her biological parents were pleased to see her in the care of these foster parents. Her mom and dad are Métis and of the fostering couple, foster mom is also Métis. Foster mom and dad loved S.S. and theirs is the only home she has known. They are her family. That may sound naïve. However, a Métis arrangement was conducted whereby the foster parents were regarded in the Métis community as the true parents of S.S.

It must be understood that the girl's new parents are non-aboriginal.

Foster mom and dad learned one year ago that the MCFD intended to move the child to the Ontario family. Yes, at three years of age. In late September after the foster parents had exhausted all legal channels, S.S. was removed from them, kept in another foster setting as legalities dragged on and then as October approached, she was put on an airplane and flown with her new family to their home in Ontario.

You can read more of S.S.'s story on a Facebook page ‘Bring Home Baby S’. 

and at either of two websites bringsshome.ca or bringsshome.com. 

SHE IS GONE

SHE IS GONE

I have written about her earlier. The story has been in the news for months. It was not difficult for me to decide which course of action was most appropriate to the child. The bottom line is, she is gone.

She is no longer in B.C. She may soon be out of the news entirely. At three years of age, she is having to learn to live with the shock, the anguish of loss, the fear, the mistrust, the daily changes. She is gone, gone from foster parents who loved her so much that they applied to adopt her, and MCFD flew her to Ontario to be adopted into a Caucasian family in which the girl's two siblings live. She did not know them and had never seen them. 

Little attempt has been made here to understand a culture, the Métis culture, because that is the girl's birth heritage. Does it matter? Of course it does. It does in every other avenue of Canadian life and law and societal correctness. Yet in her case, with her life, that culture has been minimized and we have another instance of bureaucratic initiative misjudging what is truly in the best benefit of the child. Isn't our history full enough with the bad burden of young lives plucked from families and shipped off to a residential schools or to out of province non-aboriginal families and even over the border into the United States? Did we have to repeat this again with this little girl? No we did not.

I will talk about her a lot over the next weeks but first I want you to see her, well, you can't really, because there is a ban on such publication, but what is permitted, I can offer here. Furthermore, I am providing links to new websites that tell her story very well from the viewpoint of the loving foster family who miss her.

In subsequent pieces you will be shocked again, perhaps outraged by what our government has done.

METIS CHILD - JUDGE RULES TOMORROW SEPT 26 - RAY FERRIS SPEAKS OUT, AGAIN!

Ray Ferris has been invested in this case as most advocated spirits are. It’s the case of the Metis child whom MCFD wants to ship from a BC Metis foster parent home to a non-aboriginal home in Ontario because there are two siblings earlier sent there. He has written another piece and sent it to me today. 

(Photo:Mike McArthur/CBC)

"The Metis foster parents spent two days in court last week in Vancouver Supreme Court. Jack Hittrich, their lawyer applied for leave to approach the Supreme Court of Canada on a Charter of Rights application protecting the aboriginal heritage. Of course the MCF director is fighting that tooth and nail and has shown the customary nasty and vindictive behaviour that we have come to expect from the office. There is a publication ban on the case, so you may see nothing in the media. The judge expects to rule tomorrow, Monday Sept 26th. 

METIS FOSTER PARENTS LOSE APPEAL - CHILD TO BE SHIPPED TO ONTARIO

Foster dad with Metis girl, photo courtesy of foster mom 

Recent news of Metis toddler - A British Columbia foster family has lost its fight in the province's highest court to keep a Metis toddler they have raised since birth. You should read this week's Times Colonist report that reveals that the B.C. foster parents will not give up. Perhaps you will share Ray Ferris' dismay which he expresses in the piece that follows. He has sent this letter to the Times Colonist. Ray is an author and advocate.

"Your Times Colonist report reminds us that the social workers want to rip this child from the only home she has known and place her with strangers in Ontario, regardless of the consequences. Not only does this fly in the face of common sense, but it ignores all knowledge of early childhood development and good social work practice. Such action also flouts the imperatives in the CF&CSA defining the best interests of children."

    

"The Act lists the following guidelines and rules.

1.Preservation of kinship ties and attachment to extended family are urged.

2.Cultural identity of aboriginal children should be protected.

3.Decisions on young children to be timely.

4. Continuity of care is important.

5. Quality of relationship with caregiver.

6. Child’s cultural, racial and religious heritage to be protected.

7. Where the child is aboriginal placement must be with extended family or in cultural community, or with another aboriginal family."

"Clearly, all these conditions are satisfied with the present Metis foster parents, who also wish to adopt. Courts have defined Metis people as aboriginal. There is a section that says that placement in the same home as siblings should be considered. The Act also states that all the best interests must be considered in context and that judgement must be used. Note that no one right is declared as paramount. However, the Ministry director continues to insist that sibling placement must supersede all other clauses. Obviously the time has long gone when this would have had any benefit and it is perverse to cling to it. The law allows him to do so without challenge."

"Children need to be stabilized in the first year of life. Otherwise they are prone to developing a range of anxiety disorders, which can scar for life. Unfortunately, the scantily trained unregistered social workers of the children's ministry seem to be blissfully ignorant of such knowledge."

From Ray Ferris 105-3900 Shelbourne St. Victoria. Phone 250 477 5723

My Previous GPS blog posts associated with this case are found at these links:

GPS: Metis Child Is In a Mess: Feb 15, 2016 ... She was not permitted to go to a Métis cultural event being held in her honour. Why would the Métis Federation hold an event to honour her?

‪GPS: METIS GIRL'S GOOD NEWS - FOR NOW: Mar 7, 2016 ... The good news is coming but first read the reprise of this situation. If you have been following the long running story of the two-year old Metis ..

GPS: Times Colonist Story about Metis Toddler: Jan 30, 2016 ... FOLLOWUP opinion by Ray Ferris, my advocacy colleague, an experienced ...

GPS: Emergency News of Little Metis Girl: Feb 27, 2016 ... If you have to look back a few posts that pertain to the metis child being taken from her foster parents who ...