Gaming, Foster Care Debated At Assembly
Thursday, June 04, 2009 at 13:48
Chiefs from across the province gathered in Saskatoon for the first day of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations’ annual spring assembly yesterday, delving into hot topics such as the FSIN’s gaming portfolio, and temporary seizures of children by Indian Child and Family Services agencies.
Also announced to the assembly was the appointment of two new members of the FSIN Senate: Don Pooyak from Sweet Grass First Nation, and Fred Sasakamoose, the first Aboriginal person to play in the NHL.
Sasakamoose, who is from the Atahkahkoop First Nation, says he’s been honoured in the past by non-Aboriginal society, but it means more to be honoured by his own people.
Controversy surrounded the reassignment of the gaming portfolio, which was originally assigned to Vice-Chief Delbert Wapass, to Chief Lawrence Joseph.
In the assembly, File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Chief Edmund Bellegarde read a letter on behalf of Carry the Kettle Chief Barry Kennedy. He says Joseph disregarded the will of the Saskatchewan chiefs by taking over the portfolio.
Joseph insists he has the authority to make such a change as dictated under the Executive Act.
Joseph says he received a call Tuesday from Kennedy, threatening legal action, which was also stated in Kennedy’s letter read into assembly yesterday.
Recently, the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority had problems with money missing from ATMs in two of its casinos.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Fishing Lake First Nation says children are being traumatized unnecessarily by the very service meant to protect them — Indian Child & Family Services.
Chief Shirley Wolfe-Keller made an impassioned plea to the legislative assembly, calling on the chiefs to look at how ICFS works.
Wolfe-Keller says there is a need for foster care, but wonders why children are taken from their homes for a short period of time and placed in foster care, rather than with family members who are willing and able to take them.
Wolfe-Keller says she recently witnessed four children taken for four days from their parents, when grandparents could have cared for them.
She says when they returned, the mother had to take the oldest, a 10-year-old boy, to the hospital because he wouldn’t stop crying.
Vice-Chief Glen Pratt has expressed similar concerns about the foster care system. He will be presenting a resolution related to this issue today.