Chief Benedict Abram: Transforming First Nations Child and Family Services
Speaking to a crowded room at Carleton University, Regional Chief of Ontario Benedict Abram described the recent negotiations between the Assembly of First Nations and the Government of Canada over the First Nations Child and Family Services Program (FNCFS).
“In 2016, the government was found to be discriminating against First Nations kids living on reserve,” said Abram, citing a finding from the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal that the program was flawed, inequitable and discriminatory. “In June 2024, we announced a settlement of $47.8 billion to reform the system.”
Chief Abram shared his experiences as a chief of the Mohawk nation of Akwesasne as well as the Regional Chief of Ontario during the Katherine H. Graham Lecture on Indigenous policy on November 4, 2024.
Chief Abram said it’s challenging to address policy issues—whether in Akwesasne or across Canada—within a tangled web of jurisdictions.
“At Akwesasne, we were dealing with child welfare in three jurisdictions: Quebec, Ontario and New York State. Our community had a mandate to protect children, but child welfare is different in every province—and even within the province.”
Chief Abram has seen that challenge multiplied across Canada as he’s witnessed the negotiations over the First Nations Child and Family Services Program.
“Half of the communities are remote communities in the North where you have to fly in child protection workers. It’s very difficult there.”
While Chief Abram is hopeful the settlement will help transform child protections on reserve, he recognizes the challenge.
“It’s a very emotional topic because children are our most valuable resources. But we’re trying to ensure our communities are going in the right direction.”
Chief Abram’s talk was followed by a presentation of postdoctoral research on Indigenous topics, hosted by the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation (3ci).
The presenters included Dr. Giuseppe Amatulli, Dr. Howard Huynh, Dr. Carola Ramos Cortez, Dr. Kyle Plotsky and Dr. Joshua Steckley speaking on the results of several Carleton-based community research partnerships, including the Rebuilding First Nations Governance project, the Fostering Indigenous small-scale fisheries for Health, Economy and Food Security project, and more.
The Katherine A.H. Graham lecture is held annually and provides a vehicle for examining a wide range of policy issues, cases, models and tools related to First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Canada.