A call for governments to honour Jordan's Principle

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AFN National Chief and Regional Chief Support Mother's Call to Honour Jordan's Principle

OTTAWA, June 29, 2011

- Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo and AFN Nova Scotia-Newfoundland Regional Chief Morley Googoo today expressed their support for the call for the Province of Nova Scotia and the Government of Canada to honour Jordan's Principle.

"It is our position that First Nations children must have access to the same health care services afforded every other child in Canada," said National Chief Atleo. "Jordan's Principle was passed unanimously in the House of Commons more than three years ago, yet today our families and communities still have to fight both the provincial and federal governments so their children can receive a comparable level of service to that of every other child in Canada. This is simply unacceptable."

The National Chief and Regional Chief are supporting Maurina Beadle and Pictou Landing Band Council who, on June 24, filed an application against the Government of Canada asserting that the government is failing to provide adequate and comparable health care services to Maurina and her son, Jeremy Meawasige, both members of Pictou Landing. The application further states that this failure to provide comparable services is contrary to Jordan's Principle, the "child first" approach adopted by the Government of Canada in 2007.

AFN Nova Scotia-Newfoundland Regional Chief Morley Googoo expressed his support: "This is an example of a First Nations mother who loves her son and is capable and willing to oversee his care in their family home in their own community. All she is seeking is the same financial support that the provincial and federal governments would provide to every other child in Canada. Maurina should not be put into the position of choosing between watching her son suffer or being forced to put him in institutional care outside their community and likely outside the region."

Jeremy Meawasige is not the only First Nations child caught in a jurisdictional dispute over health care needs. It is happening to First Nations children in every province and territory across Canada. In 2005, a national research study, the Wen:de Report, examined 12 of the 105 First Nations Child and Family Service Agencies in Canada and reported nearly 400 children caught in similar jurisdictional disputes.

National Chief Atleo stated: "It is situations like these that reinforce the need for the provincial and federal governments to work with First Nations to ensure, by working together, that children receive the services they require in a timely manner. First Nations must be involved in the development of a favourable dispute-resolution mechanism to ensure success in the implementation of Jordan's Principle."

For more information on Jordan's Principle see www.jordansprinciple.ca

The Assembly of First Nations is the national organization representing First Nations in Canada.

For further information:

Philippa Pictou, Health Director, Pictou Landing First Nation
(902) 641-2076 or (902) 305 2858