Laws of Matriarch

Dreams of Ancestors My yea'a has always given me so much strength.  Back in February 1991, I had a dream that has stayed with me ever since. In this dream, I saw Sasquatches. The family house and our father tribe were all gathered together, surrounded by the lush green forest. I looked outside, and a wave of fear washed over me when I saw something moving in the trees. Then, a Sasquatch stepped out from the woods. I had never seen one before—a huge, dark brown, hairy figure moving gracefully from the forest. It was a beautiful day, and everything felt fresh, like it had just rained the day before. I turned to my yea'a and asked him why the Sasquatch was there. He replied, “They are here to be with us.” As I looked again, I noticed that more Sasquatches had joined the first one—about a dozen in total. They gathered with us like another house, and I imagined they came with our father tribe. We continued our usual business, connecting with family and discussing community issues. ...

My grandson is now 22 months old, and I want to share an update on the struggles I’m facing while navigating the CFCSA process with VACFSS. It hasn’t been easy, and I feel compelled to express my concerns and offer recommendations for change. Please forgive any grammatical errors in this message; I don’t have an editor to help me. As you know, I’ve answered the intrusive list of questions in the email linked below. I find myself in a precarious position, feeling the weight of the system on my shoulders. I am desperate to keep my grandson from being removed and to prevent him from entering care. Canada has a troubling practice of finding any excuse to take our Aboriginal children away from their families and communities. I know that you will do everything in your heart and power to help our children, and I want to thank you for your bravery and prayers.  Recently, I received an email from the social worker filled with heavy questions that leave me feeling uneasy about their commitm...

Subject: Update on My Journey to Bring Angel Home Hello, Today, I received an email that left me feeling heavy-hearted and frustrated. I’m facing the same intrusive questions over and over again, and it seems like the process is only getting delayed. I can’t help but wonder, who is this manager, and why am I answering to someone I don’t even know? Do I really need to answer these questions just to keep my grandson with me? The email from my social worker detailed a long list of inquiries about my life and experiences. It felt exhausting to relive these moments, and honestly, it’s hard to keep explaining myself. Here are some of the questions I received: 1. They want more detail on what I’ve learned from my life experiences, especially from my upbringing and childhood. I previously answered “Perceiver,” but now they want me to expand on that.     2. They’re asking how my past experiences have impacted me and how I feel about them now. I mentioned that life was better after my ...

Today was another court date, but thankfully, I didn’t have to attend because the VACFSS director decided to adjourn the date for another month.  My grandson Angel is now 1 year and 9 months old, and this is the longest I’ve ever had to deal with the ministry. It’s an exhausting process that wears you down and leaves you feeling hopeless.  Even though I’ve had Angel living with me for the last nine months, I know that at any moment, a social worker and a police officer could come knocking at my door to take him away. Canada has made it nearly impossible for us to keep our children. I’m tired, and I feel like I can’t fight this battle anymore. The ministry seems to be looking for any reason to put him back into their care, and I have lost all faith in VACFSS and any agency in Canada that handles Aboriginal child welfare. Today was particularly hard. I had to sit through a session where a privileged lawyer spoke about how “you can’t just help them get their children back; they n...

As a Gitxsan grandmother, I want to share the essence of our beliefs and spirituality.  On the West Coast, our Native brothers and sisters use various medicines for prayer, like devil’s club. Our traditions are rooted in a deep respect for spirit. We don’t romanticize our rituals and practices; they are simply part of who we are, ingrained in our upbringing. Respect for life is the foundation of everything we do. Each person is born with unique gifts, and none is more important than the other. Even those who work with the spirit world remain humble, never boasting about their abilities. They simply do their job, just like everyone else. We believe that God is within us and with us always. Every thought we have is a prayer, and our ancestors walk beside us, guiding us through life. Our spirits communicate with all spirits, and the first thoughts that come to us when we seek answers are often those messages from the spirit world. In our past, we used sweat lodges to cleanse our scent...

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...