At the start of the Family Day weekend, the Sts鈥檃iles First Nation took a stand for their most precious resource 鈥� their children.

On Friday (Feb. 16), the Sts鈥檃iles community and their guests gathered at the Charlie Longhouse to celebrate and assert the nation鈥檚 jurisdiction over child and family services despite the lack of support from Canada鈥檚 government.

Today, after more than a century of historic disruption, Sts鈥檃iles is asserting its unbroken and inherent right to care for our children and families according to our own laws and cultural practices,鈥� Sts鈥檃iles Chief Ralph Leon (Sah-ahkw) stated on Friday. 鈥淥ur children are our most precious resource, and by assuming responsibility for their care, we are ensuring that they grow up with the love, support and connection to their culture that they deserve.鈥�

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After three years of negotiation, the ceremony was initially intended to be a ceremonial signing of a coordination agreement with the Sts鈥檃iles nation and the federal and provincial governments. However, the month before this ceremony, the federal government reneged on the commitment to meet their deadlines for finalizing the agreement.

Sts鈥檃iles Grand Chief Chasta Willie Charlie (Cha鈥檘ua鈥檞et) 鈥� the chief negotiator for the community 鈥� said the community is 鈥渆xtremely disappointed鈥� in the government鈥檚 decision.

鈥淭his leaves Sts鈥檃iles drastically underfunded and forces us to self-fund our child and family services without federal government support,鈥� Charlie stated.

Last April, the Sts鈥檃iles officials brought into force Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts鈥檃iles, or 鈥淪ts鈥檃iles Child and Family Services Law,鈥� which covered Sts鈥檃iles children living on reserve. Following Friday鈥檚 ceremony, the Sts鈥檃iles law extends coverage to all Sts鈥檃iles children across the province, effective April 1.

Jenny Lloyd, executive director of Indigenous Agreements with the Ministry of Child and Family Development said the province is fully committed to supporting Sts鈥檃iles in their efforts.

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鈥淚 liked that we were challenged, especially by the youth council, to work harder and to put everything we鈥檝e got into this,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd that鈥檚 the commitment of MCFD.鈥�

Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak delivered a video address congratulating the Sts鈥檃iles community.

鈥淎lthough we鈥檝e never given up jurisdiction over our children, other colonial systems have always tried to suppress our people and tried to suppress our ways of keeping our families together,鈥� Nepinak said. 鈥淎ll levels of government have to work with First Nations people if they鈥檙e going to get this right. I look forward to all of you being a driving force and showing the rest of the country how to do child welfare laws, how to bring your children home, how to put broken families back together again.鈥�

Representatives from the Seabird Island and Sq鈥櫭﹚lets First Nations were also present at the ceremony.