Feb 8/98: Native children stolen by BC govt

CHIEF CLOSES RESERVE AFTER CHILDREN APPREHENDED

Victoria Times Colonist
February 8, 1998

[S.I.S.I.S. note: The Federal Minister of Indian Affairs may have issued an apology for the residential schools, but Canada continues to abduct Native children from their homes. This is in direct contravention of Article II (e) of the UN 1948 Convention on Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, which specifically prohibits the forcible transfer of children from one racial, national, ethnic or religious group to another.
The following mainstream news article may contain biased or distorted information and may be missing pertinent facts and/or context. It is provided for reference only.]

QUESNEL - A native chief has closed his reserve to strangers following the apprehension of 30 native children in the last two months. "We will seize all vehicles that enter the reserve, including helicopters," Chief Roger Jimmie said Saturday. "They've gone to some pretty drastic measures, so we have to do the same," said Jimmie of [BC] social workers who have seized about 70 children in and around this northern community since December.

In an angry letter to Children's and Families Minister Penny Priddy, five chiefs from the Carrier-Chilcotin Tribal Council demanded the immediate return of the 30 native children they say were yanked from their homes. "We will not let you take our children any more," they wrote. "We demand that you return these children to our communities immediately. We will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that no other children are removed."

The apprehensions were prompted by an audit requested by Children's Commissioner Cynthia Morton, who found systemic problems during a fatality review last year. Since the audit, six social workers went on leave and 14 new social workers were added.


Letters to the Times Colonist: timesc@interlink.bc.ca


Children's and Families' Minister Penny Priddy, like most NDP members of the legislature, is not publically accessible by email. One of the few NDP ministers to publicize his email is Dennis Streifel, of the closely affiliated Ministry of Human Resources. Condemnation of the British Columbia's continued apprehensions of Aboriginal children from their families, communities and nations can be directed to Streifel:

Honourable Dennis Streifel, Minister of Human Resources
Parliament Buildings, Victoria, BC, V8V 1X4 Canada
Phone: (250) 387-3180
Fax: (250) 387-5720
Email: dennis_streifel@bc.sympatico.ca
The Ministry for Children and Families suggests that questions regarding aboriginal people and the Child, Family and Community Service Act, which allows for the removal of children, be directed to:
Office of the Deputy Director
Ministry of Social Services, Victoria, BC, Canada
Phone: (250) 387-7091
Since the federal government of Canada purports to exercise "fiduciary responsibility" for Native Peoples, complaints about the latest BC apprehensions of native children should go to the Prime Minister of Canada:
Jean Chretien
Email: pm@pm.gc.ca
Faxing by email: remote-printer.Jean_Chretien@16139416900.iddd.tpc.int
Please cc letters to: sisis@envirolink.org


SAMPLE LETTER

posted here with permission of author, Chris Morabito

Penny Priddy, Ministry of Children and Families,
Prime Minister Jean Chretien,

The BC Ministry for Children and Families has no jurisdiction over Indian territories as per the Royal Proclamation of 1763. You are both committing the crime of genocide in category (E) Forcibly transferring children of a distinct group to another group, according to the 1948 U.N. Convention on Punishment and Prevention of the Crime of Genocide, Article III by removing native children from their homes in Quesnel, 'BC'. When there is a real justice system in this world----and we all know your system is crumbling--you will both be charged and tried for these crimes against humanity, as will the social workers, the police and anyone else involved.

Honour the Royal Proclamation. Stop the fraud and treason so that the genocide will end against Indian peoples colonized by Canada.

NO JURISDICTION OVER STOLEN LAND, NO JURISDICTION OVER STOLEN CHILDREN!

Sincerely,

(your name)


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