Metis child welfare conference

Page 2

Delegates urge political involvement

Resolutions to involve the political bodies of the Metis Association and the Metis National Council in child welfare were passed during the final day of the first national Metis child welfare conference held in Calgary Oct. 5 to 7.

The conference was organized by Metis Child Services of Edmonton (MCS) to address the issues facing Metis children in care. The MCS was formed by Local 1885 and has been essentially non-political, however, organizer Carolyn Pettifer says now both the Metis Association and the Metis National Council will become more involved.

"We feel, after these resolutions, that the MNC has been mandated to act on our concerns over child welfare," she said.

The three-day conference was deemed a success by Pettifer who added that child welfare gained "a great deal of support from the politicians in the MAA and the MNC." Next year another national conference will be held in Manitoba, added Pettifer, who felt that these conferences will now become a regular event.

However, although the conference was called a success, the three-day event started out on shakey ground due to funding difficulties.

During the first day more than 85 people from all over the prairies gathered to discuss potential changes to Metis child welfare.

"Guidelines regulating the care of Metis children are being made by people who don't know what a Metis child is," said Leonard Gauthier, Zone 4 director.

"I would like to see a structure in place where Metis representatives have to be contacted by Social Services when Metis children are being dealt with," he said addressing the audience.

Similar recommendations were made by others who were divided into ten groups, with teach group addressing the problem and the possible solutions regarding Metis child welfare.

But while the conference was a definite success, its beginnings would have suggested another outcome.

Brenda Blyan, the conference coordinator, explained that the conference has been in the planning stages for two years.

Social services had originally been approached for funding in July of '86 by Metis Child Services (MCS) of Edmonton.

MCS was asked to postpone the conference due to understaffing. Further postponements followed and the conference then met with negative government opinion when it was rescheduled for October, immediately before the International Child Welfare conference.

In a letter to Carolyn Pettifer, program coordinator of MCS, Michael Ozerkevich, deputy minister of Social Services, denied funding due to "having already committed our resources, at this time, to the conference noted (International Child Welfare Conference), I regret to advise that we cannot assist in funding another conference."

"A month ago, we did not have one cent in the bank for this conference," said Blyan. "But in the last month we've raised a total of $9,000, $1,000 from our own fund raising, $2,000 from the Metis Association and Alberta Social Services and Municipal Affairs each donated $3,000."

A committee consisting of six members, two from each attending province, was formed with the intent of creating a proposal for reform of Metis child welfare to be presented to the government.

"The direction is clear," said Stan Plante, president of Local 1885. "The committee will have to study and develop the proposals we have heard here today."

The underlying direction of almost all the proposals heard was to return to the Metis the welfare of the children.

"Metis child welfare is an issue," said Joey Hamelin, president of MCS in Edmonton. "It's time to take the results of this conference to the federal and provincial political levels."

Other speakers at the conference included Larry Desmeules, Metis Association of Alberta (MAA) president, former president Sam Sinclair, Ron Rivard, Metis National Council, a welcome speech by Calgary mayor Ralph Klein and a special presentation by Charlie Cardinal, entitled "The Richard Cardinal Story."

"We have achieved so much," said Blyan in her closing remarks. "Everything has gone so well. This is an historical event."