Laws of Matriarch

A Grandmother's Update on My Grandson Hello everyone, I want to share my journey as a Gitxsan grandmother trying to bring my grandson home. He’s now 10 months old, and every day without him is a reminder of how broken our system is. I’ve had six social workers in the time since Angel was born, and each change only adds to the confusion. I recently received a letter from the daycare worker, explaining that she can’t keep Angel after August 31st. The owner realized she wouldn’t be able to carry him down 19 flights of stairs in case of an emergency. Now I’m scrambling to find another daycare, and with so many closing down in Vancouver, my options are limited. The truth is, when it comes to Child Welfare, the system operates like a maze—full of barriers and roadblocks. If I had been able to apply for Guardianship through the Family Law Act, I could have had my grandson home months ago. Instead, we’re forced into a lengthy process that feels more like punishment than support. The polic...

Thoughts on the Article: Ian Mulgrew: Alex Gervais Tragedy Indicts More Than Ministry As a Gitxsan woman, I read Ian Mulgrew’s article about the tragic story of Alex Gervais, and it shakes me to my core. This isn’t just about one child; it reflects a much larger crisis that continues to unfold in our communities. Canada continues to take Aboriginal children, often without the knowledge of their bands, which are separate from our traditional communities. Many tribes never even know when a child has been taken into care, leaving families in the dark and hearts broken. It’s systemic racism at its worst, preventing our children from returning to the loving arms of their families and communities. Canada has failed to make any meaningful efforts to address the intergenerational impacts of Indian Residential Schools. The scars left by those institutions run deep, affecting our people today. It feels as though it’s in Canada’s best interest to perpetuate the extinguishment of Indigenous people...