An official with the Sturgeon Lake First Nation says she hopes a new communications protocol agreement in child and family services leads to better relations with the province.
The communications protocol was signed last week in Regina between Sturgeon Lake and the Saskatchewan Ministry of Social Services.
Eleanor Brazeau, the director of Sturgeon Lake Child and Family Services, says when two child band members died while in ministry care in 2009, the First Nation was not alerted as should have been the case.
“They failed to follow the procedures,” she says. “Even in the policy that deals with child deaths and critical injuries, they have to notify the agency immediately, they have 72 hours, but we didn’t find out about those child deaths except through the parents.”
She adds the new protocol is the result of years of lobbying by the First Nation.
Brazeau also stresses Sturgeon Lake wants to know what is happening with all of its children, whether they be on or off-reserve.
Under the new protocol agreement, the province must alert Sturgeon Lake every time an off-reserve child band member is taken into custody.
It also requires the province to notify and seek input from Sturgeon Lake on any government changes that may affect First Nations children.