fcwc june newsletter

7/28/2019 FCWC June Newsletter

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In Retrospect:Executive Director talks about Child & Family Services andtestifying at the Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry

After commissioners, the

media and public heard months of

testimony that pieced together a

profile of Phoenix Sinclair, her

caregivers and the events leading

up to her death; it was Felix

Walkers turn to testify.

The Executive Director of

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation

Family and Community Wellness

Centre faced a tough crowd in

this highly publicize case.

Samantha Kematch, Phoenixs

mother, and Carl McKay had

already been convicted for beating

the little girl to death in June

2006. That eventually led to the

Phoenix Sinclair Inquiry,

commissioned to examine how

the Manitoba Child Welfare

System failed to protect Phoenix

who spent most of her life in

foster care before being returned

to Kematch.

Now, a month after his

testimony he recalls the problems

with the system, including the

changes made since Phoenixs

death. He particularly takes issue

with the Safety Determination

Model which determines whether

a child is in need of investigation.

One of the issues that weve

always had with the SDM model

is that its slanted in a way that if

youre Aboriginal, if youre living

on reserve, you have more than

two children, youre a single

parent; your children are at risk.

Thats racism, stereotypical

responses, and thats why you see

a huge number of children

coming into care, particularly in

Winnipeg.

Manitoba has come up with a

number of regulations that govern

how Child and Family Services

agencies interact and are involved

with families. But Walker prefers a

different approach, one that he

spoke about at the inquiry.

There are other ways and

means to implement CFS on

reserves and throughout

Manitoba. Community-based

solutions are the best ways to

NISICHAWAYASIHKCREE NATION

FCWCNEWSLETTERJune

2013

FAMILY & COMMUNITYWELLNESS CENTRE

Executive Director

Felix Walker.


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www.ncnwellnes.ca

NISICHAWAYASIHK

CREE NATION

FAMILY & COMMUNIT

WELLNESS CENTRE

From our home to yours

Stay connected to your community.

Visit our website for information and otherresources. Or keep in touch through ourFacebook and Twitter page for the latest

news, events and updates.
http://www.ncnwellnes.ca/http://www.ncnwellnes.ca/


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address some of the longstanding issues.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and

Southern Chiefs Organization approached the

executive director to provide testimony at theinquiry, and the FCWC was integral in

demonstrating alternative ways to keep children safe.

Under the new Family Enhanced Model that

we are now starting to implement here at the

Wellness Centre under the new funding model

through INAC, we are in a much better position to

provide services to prevent the number of children

coming into care. Were now focused on keeping

children at home with their parents as best we can.

However there are circumstances where abuse has

been identified and may have occurred and we have

no choice but to apprehended.

Many of FCWCs wards of the System whowere in provincial care before 2005, are now adults.

In 2005, the Centre was granted provincial

jurisdiction and managed to decrease the number of

children that come into care. In the last three years

numbers are steady at about 200 children in care in

Nelson House. About the same number is in care

outside the community.

Walker believes the best way to help children in

the system is to bring them home. The FCWC is

looking at purchasing three residential facilities in

Nelson House and Thompson to transition into

group homes. The four-bedroom homes would be

managed by about six to 10 staff. Walker says it all

comes back to the idea of taking care of our own

here in the community. The FCWC and its many

programs for parents and families would be that

integral resource them.But now, as Walker looks back at the Phoenix

Sinclair inquiry and the entire case, he hopes the

correct changes will be made.

Its unfortunate that the death of Phoenix

Sinclair has materialized. The people responsible are

in custody, they are serving life sentences for their

part. But it also brings forth some of the shortfalls

that weve always know have existed in the Child

Welfare system in Manitoba. And were hoping that

some of the recommendations that come of the

Phoenix Sinclair inquiry will begin to close some of

those gaps, place more emphasis on community-

based solutions to resolving some of these long-stemming systemic issues facing our families and

community, and that we start a process to actually

start looking at all our citizens in all of our

communities.

Continued from Page 1

FCWCNEWSLETTERJune

2013

Phoenix Sinclair

The five-year-old

from Fisher River

First Nation spent

most of her life in

foster care before

being returned to

her mother. Her

murder in 2006

sparked the

longest and most

intense inquiry by

the province of

Manitoba.


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New Hire:Ashley Bobier

I was born and raised in Thompson, MB. Igraduated from the

University College oftheNorth/University of

ManitobaBaccalaureate Nursing degreeprogram in 2007. Since that time I have workedas a registered nurse invarious fields including

public health, occupational health, and

addictions. I have recently developed a passionfor working with the older population and am

looking forward to providing care to the people

of NCN.

Training the Trainer:Traditional ParentingSkills

Staff in various departments at the

FCWC started their month with a

three-day workshop on traditional

family parenting.

The workshop was developed by

Janet Fox, a facilitator who believes that

raising a child holistically, makes them

better prepared to make positive

choices.

We followed the western world for

too long and the statistics do not seem

to be changing in terms of we still have

high rates of child welfare. We do have

a lot of healing programs in our

communities but it still needs to have

more cultural content because

spirituality has always been left out.

Fox, who is originally from OnionLake Saskatchewan, has been a life

skills coach for 15 years and has

presented in more than 60 First Nations

in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and

Manitoba. She brought her presentation

to FCWC because they have consistent

contact and influence on members of

Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation.

Theyre working in areas where

theyre able to reach the people, the

clients. For example, the young mothers

in Maternal Child Health, theyre able to

pass these teachings now to the peoplethat theyre working with.

Fox demonstrated techniques our

ancestors used when child rearing such as

the importance of bonding, and using the

Moss bag and swing. She says because of

the historical trauma First Nations people

experienced, these parenting skills were

lost from generation to generation. Its

something she says is vital to the way a

person develops.

Whatever happens to us in those

early years can almost determine our

future if we never go through a healing

journey.

At the end of the workshop staff

presented ways to incorporate these

techniques either within the workplace or

through working with clients. Lynda

Wright, Head of Public Health, suggests

traditional values can be shared through

modern means of communication. For

example, because youth in the

community are active on social media

sites like Facebook, its a great way to

reach that audience.

Charlene Spence of Counselling

Services says offices can initiate language

learning every week. This means

introducing staff to a phrase every week,

teaching them the meaning and

encouraging them to use it.

Whatever the means, Fox says its all

about raising the self esteem of people so

they may heal and use those holistic

approaches to raise children.

FCWCNEWSLETTERJune

2013

Ashley Bobier

will be joining the

FCWC team in

the Home and

Community Care

Program.

Janet Fox

from Onion Lake Saskatchewan has been a life skills coach for 15 years and

has presented in more than 60 First Nations in BC, Alberta, Manitoba and


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Nurses Week (May 10-16)

FCWCNEWSLETTERJune

2013

Let them eat cake!

The FCWC would like tothank all the passionate,

hardworking and committednurses who dedicate theirtime and expertise to help

the community.

Thank you:

Jean JohnsonLynda WrightGlenda Grey

Tamara DumasTrevor Thompson

Becky North (casual)Launda Warren (casual)

National Nursing Week was first celebrated in 1985 to highlight nurses' contributions to the well-being of

the Canadian public.In 1971, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) designated May 12, FlorenceNightingales birthday, International Nurses Day.

Nelson House Councillor Darcy Linklater presents gifts from the Band Office to the nursing staff at the NCN

Family and Community Wellness Centre.


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Congratulations:STARs first graduate

Kendall Spence graduated from the STAR FASD

Prevention Program April 23, 2013.

FCWCNEWSLETTER

14 Bay Road Drive Nelson House, MB R0B 1A0 Phone: (204) 484-2341 Fax: (204) 484-2351

About

The Family and Community Wellness

Centre was established to support

holistic wellness by providing different

opportunities to members ofNisichawayasihk Cree Nation. The

Centre provides services in Public

Health, Child and Family Services,

Counselling and other family and

community needs programs. It has sub-

offices in Winnipeg, Brandon,

Thompson and South Indian Lake.

Vision

Nisichawayasihk Mithwayawin

Mission

In unity, we promote community

awareness, empowerment, and a safe

environment towards holistic wellness.

***For more information and resources

on the FCWC visit our website

ncncwellness.ca, or find us on

Facebook and Twitter.

NISICHAWAYASIHK

CREE NATION

FAMILY & COMMUNITY

WELLNESS CENTRE

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