A renewed call to sign the Action Alert: Prime minister, stop the court battle with First Nations children and their families!
The federal government must decide within weeks whether to appeal the decision of the Federal Court and continue battling First Nation children and their families in court. RNAO is calling on the prime minister to do the right thing: Do not appeal the ruling and stop battling First Nation families!
I am shocked that only 588 people responded to our call last week to sign the Action Alert calling on Prime Minister Trudeau to do the right thing. Let’s keep alive the spirit of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation that we just observed on September 30. I plea to you to take a minute and sign the Action Alert now!
For background on this important struggle, read RNAO’s media release:
Following Canada’s inaugural National Day of Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, RNAO urged Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to stop the federal government’s long-standing court battle with First Nations children and their families, and to compensate them for the effects of inadequate and discriminatory funding.
On Sept. 29, the Federal Court dismissed an appeal by the federal government for a judicial review of the rulings of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to compensate First Nations children and their families. RNAO deems this appeal and denial of compensation unacceptable. The rulings show that the federal government inadequately funded services for First Nations children and took an overly narrow approach to determining eligibility for Jordan’s Principle, which states no health, social or educational service for a First Nations child be denied or delayed due to disagreements between different levels of government.
“First Nations children and their families must be compensated for the harm caused by the misguided and discriminatory decision of the past,” says RNAO CEO Dr. Doris Grinspun. “This is a critically important concrete action to begin responding in a way that is congruent with the spirit of truth and reconciliation. It would be unthinkable to continue adding injustices to those inflicted in the past,” urges Grinspun.
RNAO has issued an Action Alert and is encouraging everyone to sign it to urge the federal government to stop fighting First Nations children in court and pay children and their families what they are rightfully owed.
“This Action Alert provides Canadians with the opportunity to demand that the prime minister lead the federal government to end this fight and respect the rulings of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal,” says RNAO President Morgan Hoffarth. “First Nations children and their families deserve compensation for the harm caused by the federal government’s actions.”