Grand Chief attending Canadian Human Rights Tribunal on �flawed� child and family services

10/21/2014

The Mohawk Council of Kahnaw�:ke (MCK) would like to inform the community that Grand Chief Michael Ahr�hron Delisle, Jr. is attending hearings being conducted by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in relation to a complaint alleging that Aboriginal Affairs & Northern Development Canada�s provision of First Nations child and family services is �flawed, inequitable and discriminatory� under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Grand Chief Delisle is attending today�s hearing in support of Kahnaw�:ke Shakotiia�takehnhas Community Services (KSCS) Executive Director Derek Montour. KSCS� position is consistent with that of the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society (�Caring Society�) and the Assembly of First Nations, the two organizations that filed the complaint in February 2007. Closing arguments of the Tribunal are being heard until this Friday, October 24, 2014.

�It�s been years since this complaint was launched and now the Caring Society has its day before the Human Rights Tribunal,� said Grand Chief Delisle. �Hopefully, this issue will get resolved in our favor. If so, it would have far reaching positive effects in the health and social services sectors.�

According to the Caring Society, the Federal government was unsuccessful in its earlier efforts to get the case dismissed on technical grounds, arguing that �child welfare services delivered to First Nations should not be compared to those delivered to all other Canadians.�