Update 26, Gitxsan Grandmothers Struggle with #ChildWelfare #Poverty #Genocide

Hey folks,

I wanted to take a moment to update you on what's been going on lately. It's been a tough time for my family, and I have a few heavy things to share.

My granddaughter D went through a really dark time and tried to take her own life. Her stepmom took her to the hospital on December 16, 2021. D told the police and social workers that she was struggling to get along with her parents, and that she was in a bad place. I also heard that she experienced some terrible things at the hands of her stepfamily.

This is the granddaughter I fought for in court for ten long years. Back in 2015, a judge decided that her stepdad would have primary guardianship, leaving me with just limited visits. The social worker made an agreement with him that they would create a treatment plan for D, and she wouldn't have to return to her step-parents' home.

D has been admitted to a psychiatric ward, and I attended a family meeting that felt pointless. The social workers and hospital staff seemed to have already made up their minds about how to help her. They suggested that D might have schizophrenia or FASD, which is fine, but then one specialist said D identifies as transgender and even bought her a binder. That really upset me. 

I told the staff that if D is trying to hurt herself, it shows that she might be struggling with self-hatred. If she’s been through trauma, that only adds to it. Instead of jumping to conclusions or putting on temporary fixes, we should start with real therapy to help her heal. This isn’t how we do things in our culture! 

One of the specialists mentioned they had a two-spirited worker available for us to talk to, and I felt completely dismissed. My culture and my concerns were brushed aside for a paid employee to explain things to me. That’s not how we treat each other in our community; everyone deserves respect and support.

D needs the time and space to heal. She's feeling lost and is trying to take control of everything in her life – who she is, what she eats, who she lives with. What she really needs is safety and support.

It's frustrating to see how Canada treats us. They allowed a man to take my granddaughter legally, and now social workers seem to be picking her apart instead of helping her.

I’m heading back to court on February 5 to try to get parental rights so I can protect D. Will it work? Probably not. This is Canada, and we’re still living under the Indian Act.

Another thing on my mind is my grandson. He still isn’t registered as an Indian. The ministry didn’t register him right away, and now he’s 3.5 years old. I’m still waiting to apply for his status card. It’s pretty messed up because without it, he has no medical coverage – he’s basically treated like an illegal alien, but they get support and emergency care.

Canada is really failing us, and I can feel it in my bones. 

Thanks for listening.

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