Indigenous child welfare is a part of my family and is shaping my vote

Jolene Saulis Dione · for CBC First Person

· Posted: Apr 09, 2025 4:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

This First Person file is the acquisition of Jolene Saulis Dione, who grew up successful New Brunswick and present lives successful Ottawa. For much accusation astir CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ. 

Motherhood holds galore wonders, but possibly 1 of the top is having deep, meaningful conversations with each children. These aren't the mundane chats that impact them calling maine "bruh," but alternatively the moments erstwhile they acceptable speech their phones and gaming consoles to genuinely connect.

Over the past year, my 12-year-old, successful particular, has developed a keen involvement successful societal sciences, history and politics. This has led to profound discussions and analyzable questions that situation maine to supply thoughtful answers — though she inactive manages to rotation her eyes erstwhile I suggest she work a publication alternatively of watching TikToks.

On a caller car thrust location from school, we talked astir the upcoming predetermination and what it could mean for Indigenous peoples peculiarly children. Gwen asked, 'What astir each the Indigenous children inactive successful foster care, Mom? Why aren't governments doing much to support them and guarantee they're cared for?' 

It deed adjacent to home. Our household holds heavy roots successful Tobique First Nation and Kahnawà:ke (my husband's community) — a root of immense pridefulness that besides comes with the work of being honorable with my girl astir Canada's acheronian past and its lasting interaction connected Indigenous peoples. My father, Mac Saulis, went to an Indian Day school, wherever helium endured some carnal and affectional abuse. My grandparents, too, were compelled to be time schools.

• Residential schools, time schools, time scholars: what you request to know
• PM says helium volition apologize for First Nations kid payment discrimination
• Canada discriminates against children connected reserves, tribunal rules
• First Nations person calls Manitoba a 'child apprehension machine'

My begetter went connected to work in societal enactment for astir 35 years, archetypal connected reserve and aboriginal arsenic a professor. He played a cardinal relation successful Indigenizing societal enactment programs, incorporating accepted knowledge, values, practices and healing methods into the curriculum. 

Even person to home, I person 2 First Nations adopted brothers who were portion of the foster attraction system, and their singular stories of overcoming trauma animate maine each day.

Professionally, I spent 7 years moving arsenic a nationalist servant to enactment affirmative reforms successful Indigenous kid welfare. A item of my vocation was contributing to the improvement of C-92: The Act respecting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Children, Youth and Families, which empowers Indigenous communities to workout jurisdiction implicit kid and household services.

• Supreme Court declares Indigenous kid payment instrumentality constitutional
• Indigenous groups basal beardown successful look of landmark kid payment instrumentality earlier Supreme Court

Despite these efforts, I cognize that Indigenous children stay disproportionately represented successful the system. According to the 2021 census, while Indigenous children marque up lone 7.7 per cent of the kid population, they relationship for 53.8 per cent of children successful foster care. Despite efforts to advancement guardant determination is inactive much enactment to beryllium done to trim the fig of children successful care. The absorption needs to afloat displacement from a failing non-Indigenous system to supporting Indigenous families to support children with them and their communities.

For me, voting isn't conscionable casting a ballot. It's besides a mode to honour the resilience of those who came earlier us, including my ain ancestors, who faced systemic barriers and discrimination. Many radical don't recognize that earlier 1960, First Nations peoples successful Canada could lone ballot federally if they gave up their Indian presumption done enfranchisement. This granted them citizenship rights but stripped them of their Indigenous individuality — 1 of galore examples of systemic discrimination.

Which brings maine backmost to my daughter's words during that almighty conversation, which simply captured however I judge we should attack this issue: "We request to deliberation with our caput and pb with our heart." 

When I was her age, I dreamed of studying governmental science, pursuing law and 1 time becoming premier minister. But arsenic I grew, I realized that my existent calling was to beryllium a ma — a relation that shapes not conscionable my life, but the mode I vote. Voting, to me, is astir advocating for the astir susceptible and striving to make a amended satellite for aboriginal generations.

As I hole to formed my ballot successful this election, I'll beryllium listening to what politicians person to accidental astir the attraction of Indigenous children connected and disconnected reserve. Because for me, voting isn't conscionable astir policies — it's astir people. It's astir ensuring a amended aboriginal for the adjacent generation.

And portion I cognize she'll inactive telephone maine "bruh" erstwhile I punctual her to cleanable her room, I besides cognize these conversations are shaping my girl into idiosyncratic who volition 1 time alteration the satellite — messy country and all.

What's the 1 contented that matters the astir to you successful this national election? CBC News volition people a scope of perspectives from voters who stock the idiosyncratic acquisition shaping their prime astatine the ballot box. Read much First Person columns related to the predetermination here.

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