Indigenous Child Welfare Devolution: An Exploration of Options

Overview

Abstract (English)

The forced separation of Indigenous families in Canada, rooted in colonial policies, has led to profound and lasting impacts on Indigenous communities. This dissertation examines the enduring consequences of such policies, focusing on the health and social outcomes of parent-child separations among Indigenous populations in Canada and extending to other settler-colonized countries with similar policies. Chapter 1 provides a historical and theoretical context, discussing the colonial policies of assimilation and their impacts on Indigenous families and touching on social location. Chapter 2 presents a systematic review of health and social outcomes related to child welfare exposure among Indigenous populations in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and the circumpolar region. Persistent detrimental effects include increased homelessness, low educational attainment, depression, suicidal ideation, emotional distress, and poor physical health. Justice system outcomes were inconsistent, suggesting potential indirect effects from the impacts of colonization on systemic poverty, family instability, and community disorganization. Chapter 3, “Keeping Families Together,” uses data from the Aboriginal Peoples Survey (2012 and 2017 cycles) to examine mental health (anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation) and substance use (tobacco, alcohol, recreational drugs) among Métis, Inuit, and off-reserve First Nations youth aged 12-18. Intergenerational residential school exposure is linked to suicidal ideation, smoking, and recreational drug use. Parent-child separation was related to mood and anxiety disorders, smoking, and recreational drug use when including cannabis. Neither residential school exposure nor parent-child separation was related to heavy episodic drinking. Parent-child separation predicted abstention from alcohol use, with those separated from parents more likely to drink alcohol than those who were not separated. Chapter 4 is a policy brief assessing the devolution of child welfare systems in Canada and its potential impacts on Indigenous well-being, informed by Elder Kaquitts’ teachings. The brief evaluates four policy options: Comprehensive Devolution, Partial Devolution with Full Funding, Partial Devolution with Fiscal Restraint, and Status Quo. It concludes that comprehensive devolution, aligned with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), is necessary to address colonial impacts and provide well-funded, community-specific supports. The dissertation highlights the urgent need for systemic changes in child welfare to support Indigenous self-determination and cultural continuity, while underscoring the importance of comprehensive devolution, advocating for Indigenous-led, community-specific solutions to address these issues effectively.

Abstract (French)

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