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Hadih Directors, Partners, Colleagues and Friends
Our Elders always remind us to breathe and to take care of ourselves. I will offer that reminder now because 2022 has already been a very busy year and we still have so much work to do.
It is amazing how far we have come: we are at a place that—just five or ten years ago—we could only dream about. We have won at the CHRT, we have $40 billion on the table through the Agreements-in-Principle, and we have the opportunity to really start breathing life into our own laws.
The battle to end discrimination against First Nations children and families, to prevent further discrimination, and to compensate the victims of discrimination has been very long.
The ICFSD offer our whole-hearted appreciation to Cindy Blackstock, the Caring Society, and the AFN for persevering in this work. Their efforts truly honour the residential school survivors, those who have suffered from the 60s scoop, and all those that suffered from the discriminatory practices.
In British Columbia there is more work to do in ending discrimination against our children and families. There are clear inequities between federally-funded and provincially-funded services for Indigenous children and families, and now is the time to end that inequity in British Columbia.
It is a huge task, but we will work with our provincial partners—with open hearts and open minds—to move away from how things use to be. Our actions will demonstrate that Every Child Matters.
Mary Teegee (Maaxw Gibuu), IMBA
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