News & Events
Tamara welcomed in Ottawa, support shown in Winnipeg
September 26, 2009
More than four dozen people gathered on the steps of the Manitoba Legislature to raise concerns about child and family services on Sept. 24, the same day Tamara Malcolm took the issue to Parliament Hill.
Malcolm has met with First Nations leaders, university students as well as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal citizens since leaving Winnipeg on Aug. 1.
Six pair of running shoes later she arrived in Ottawa where she was met by representatives of the Assembly of First Nations as well as an Ontario Member of Parliament, who posted on You Tube a video of her speaking on Parliament Hill. She also obtained a letter from the Prime Minister Office stating that information she has gathered will be brought to Stephen Harper's attention.
Some non-Aboriginal people were not aware that CFS did things like take away a woman's child at birth, said Malcolm, who believes her walk has contributed significantly towards her goal of raising awareness about CFS issues and practices.
"Some of the did not even know there had been a '60s scoop," Malcolm said, referring to the practice of taking children from Aboriginal parents and moving them to foster homes, often in the United States.
Malcolm, 26, is an Ojibway woman who lives in Winnipeg. She has been involved with family services, both as a child and as a mother. On Sept. 24 about four dozen supporters including a drum group gathered at the legislature, carrying signs and participating in a round dance.
Also, a man from the Bloodvein First Nation, turned up circulating a petition protesting government shipment of body bags to northern First Nations because of the H1N1 flu He gathered support from virtually all of Tamara's supporters at the legislature.
Individual citizens who take action deserve credit, says Grand Chief Morris Swan Shannacappo of the Southern Chiefs' Organization.
"It is easy to complain. It takes heart to do something. Anyone can be a leader - all they have to do is take action," said Swan Shannacappo. He has been critical of CFS policy in the past.
"The real issue isn't Tamara, but rather the broader concern of families being torn apart by a system of social services that it foreign to our values," Swan Shannacappo said.
"A lot of people, especially mothers and grandmothers, are rallying around Tamara because her walk has become a symbol for their concerns.
"As Grand Chief, I have often been approached by women - and sometimes men as well - who have told horror stories about how families have been torn apart by the CFS system. The province claims it has turned the system over to Aboriginal people, but isn't true. It is still based on the provincial model and Social Services Minister Gord McIntosh still has ultimate control," he said.
"We need a system that truly reflects the needs and ideals of First Nations people." he said.
"How does the old saying go - 'it takes a community to raise a child.' We need to give our lifegivers to gather to see how we are going to go back to our inherent right of raising our future generations. Keep the Circle Strong!"