The Innu Nation has filed a human rights complaint against the federal government over funding in the child welfare system.
According to the complaint lodged with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, they are alleging the government is discriminating against the Innu people of Labrador through the different levels of funding available in the system.
The complaint says the government provides unlimited levels of funding to take children away from Innu homes but does not provide adequate funding to the Innu prevention services to prevent that.
In a release from the Innu Nation, they said current prevention funding is not sufficient to provide the prevention services that Innu families need.
“Funding to the province for apprehension is approximately ten times greater than the funding for prevention, resulting in one in ten of all Innu children “in care” outside of their homes — a hugely disproportionate number,” the release read.
The Innu Round Table Secretariat (IRT), an Innu agency designated by the Sheshatshiu Innu First Nation and the Mushuau Innu First Nation to deliver child welfare prevention services in the communities of Natuashish and Sheshatshiu, has also filed an internal appeal of Indigenous Service Canada’s denial of a prevention services funding proposal.
According to the release, both the Innu Nation complaint and the appeal filed by the IRT are based on the Caring Society rulings of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal which found that Canada’s funding model discriminates against First Nations children and families.
"The Tribunal ordered Canada to cease that discrimination," the release read. "It also specifically ordered Canada to fund prevention services at actual cost based on actual needs. But the federal government is still refusing to fund needs-based prevention services for Innu children and families, despite those orders."
