First Peoples Child & Family Review
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Odeminiwin: Understanding and Supporting Childhood Stimulation in an Algonquin Community
No full textLegacies of colonialism have been associated with risk factors for delayed childhood development in Aboriginal communities in Canada. In the Algonquin community of Rapid Lake (Québec, Canada), the maternal-child nurse carries out regular screening for developmental delay in children (0-66 months) using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). The aim of this project was to explore parenting practices and cultural traditions regarding childhood stimulation in this community as well as primary caregivers’ perceptions of the use of the ASQ. Using a Community Based Participatory Research framework, we conducted a focused ethnography over four months, which included 28 participants. Outcomes of our research included the development of a stimulation activity for families involving all generations in the community, incorporating traditional parenting practices and language, and promoting a safe learning environment. Results can be used to support efforts towards community-driven childhood development services in other Aboriginal communities. Keywords: childhood development, Aboriginal, parenting practices, cultural traditions, ASQ, stimulatio
Understanding the Environment: Domestic Violence and Prevention in Urban Aboriginal Communities
No full textAboriginal women in Canada are at significantly higher risk for spousal violence and spousal homicide than non-Aboriginal women. Although the majority of Aboriginal people in Canada live in urban settings, there is a dearth of literature focusing on the experiences and violence prevention efforts of urban Aboriginal peoples. In order to understand issues relevant to the prevention of domestic violence among this population, we employed Aboriginal community development principles to conduct a scoping review of the relevant literature to explore the meanings and definitions, risk and protective factors, and prevention/intervention strategies within urban Aboriginal communities. Our study underscores that a number of domestic violence risk and protective factors are present in both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. However, the multifaceted impacts of colonization, including residential school trauma is a key factor in understanding domestic violence in urban Aboriginal contexts. The limited available research on this topic highlights the need for Aboriginal-led research directed towards eliminating the legacy of violence for Aboriginal peoples in Canada.
More Than a Social Justice Project: The Continued Road Towards Truth and Reconciliation
No full textThis community story describes one committee’s experiences in reconciliation after the planning and hosting of an education conference entitled It Matters to Us: Transforming the Legacy of Residential School at Western University’s Faculty of Education. The objective in hosting this conference was to provide educational opportunities that foster dialogue, reconciliation, and relationship building between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. This conference sought to increase knowledge, enhance self-awareness and strengthen the skills of those who work both directly and indirectly with Indigenous peoples. Outlined throughout the story are both the lessons learned and challenges experienced when a group of individuals from diverse individual, familial, and communal backgrounds come together to engage in a process of reconciliation. Keywords: community, reconciliation, education, residential school system, Indigenous peoples
Cultural considerations in play therapy with Aboriginal children in Canada
No full textAboriginal youth in Canada need mental health services that address culture as an integral component of treatment. Suffering and oppression caused by colonialism have led to collective distress among Aboriginal peoples and continue to impede the health and wellness of children. Counsellors have an ethical responsibility to recognize culture as an important construct that may influence a client’s healing and treatment preferences. Play therapy is a promising therapeutic approach that allows counsellors to utilize developmentally appropriate theoretical orientations and methods in treatment; however, current literature fails to provide adequate direction and guidelines for culturally competent practice. Counsellors can assume an active role in ensuring that all components of counselling are conducted in a culturally sensitive manner. More research is needed in this area, but this article explores cultural considerations that could be relevant to a child and family accessing play therapy services.
Lessons Learned From the YTSA Open Custom Adoption Program
No full textFollowing a historic meeting of staff with Alberta Children's Services and the Yellowhead Tribal Services Agency (YTSA) a pilot program, the YTSA Open Custom Adoption Program was developed. The agency initially researched existing adoption models in the Northwest Territories, British Columbia and the Cheyenne Nation in the United States. An advisory committee comprised of one Elder from each member First Nation community was struck to provide guidance and direction throughout the project. From 2000 to 2010 YTSA placed over a hundred children in adoptive homes and there were no adoption breakdowns (Aski Awasis Children of the Earth, p.79). Although the agency has now closed its doors there are lessons to be learned from the YTSA Open Custom Adoption program which is still viewed as an advanced model of adoption service inspired by traditional First Nation teachings and child caring. This article is a review of lessons learned from this agency. What remains for me is the importance of connectedness to family, culture, community and nationhood for Indigenous children and adoption
Editorial: Touchstones of Hope: Still the best guide for Indigenous child welfare
No full textIn 2000, the authors of this editorial, along with a group of child welfare experts and allies, initiated a series of meetings and one conference as part of a project sponsored by the Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, based at the University of Toronto in Canada. As a group, we represented the principal national child welfare organizations in the United States and Canada: NICWA (National Indian Child Welfare Association), CWLA (Child Welfare League of America), FNCFCS (First Nations Child and Family Caring Society), and CECW (Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare). The purpose of our gatherings was to conceptualize and develop a new perspective on child welfare that would be more appropriate for Indigenous children, their families, and their communities. The Touchstones of Hope was a document we produced in 2006 to share our new perspective
Na Gan Ts'i'stk Grandmothers' Group of Lax kw'alaams
No full textWe would like to express our thanks to our invaluable team members: Natalie Bryant, who is our Youth Representative, as well as our cultural camp workers: Russell Mather, Sophia Beaton-Mather, Patricia Mather, Lonnie Mather and Wilfred Campbell
Psychometrics in Parenting Capacity Assessments – A problem for First Nations parents
No full textParenting Capacity Assessments (PCA) are used by child protection workers to assist in determining the ability of a parent to care for their children. They may be used at various stages of the case management process but these assessments serve as powerful tools for decision making by these workers. They can also be introduced in court as part of expert testimony. Most PCAs utilize psychometric assessment measures to elicit data in respect to personality, parenting knowledge, as well as mental health and addiction issues. The authors argue that the norming of these measures has insufficient inclusion of Aboriginal peoples to be used for assessments with this population. They further argue that different approaches need to be developed as current approaches, including assessment measures, are based upon the constructs of the dominant culture, which is individualistic as opposed to the Aboriginal collectivistic approaches to parenting