Is incremental equality for First Nations Children compatible with reconciliation?

27 September 2016 – 7:30am to 27 September 2016 – 8:45am

Parliamentary Restaurant, Centre Block (6th Floor), Parliament Building

A Canadian Human Rights Tribunal landmark ruling released on January 26, 2016 found that the Canadian government is racially discriminating against 163,000 First Nations children and their families by providing flawed and inequitable child welfare services and failing to ensure equitable access to government services. When governments know better they should do better for kids, and this talk will discuss the history of the Canadian Government’s relationship with First Nations children and highlight the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruling in the context of this value. What are the implications of this case, and how can we engage in meaningful reconciliation?

2012 Trudeau mentor Cindy Blackstock will give a Big Thinking lecture on 27 September 2016 at Parliamentary Restaurant, organized by the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences.

Ms. Blackstock is a member of the Gitksan First Nation who has 25 years of social work experience in child protection and indigenous children’s rights. An author of over 50 publications, she is also the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, Professor at McGill University and the Director of Equity and Diversity for the Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences. Her promotion of culturally based and evidence informed solutions has been recognized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, Frontline Defenders and many others.

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Cindy Blackstock

An author of over 50 publications, her key interests include exploring, and addressing, the causes of disadvantage for Aboriginal children and families.

2012 Mentors

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