Aboriginal Justice Inquiry Child Welfare Initiative
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April 17, 2000

MANITOBA GOVERNMENT RECEIVES ABORIGINAL JUSTICE REPORT

Province Says Yes To AJIC Recommendations

The Manitoba government has received the first quarterly report of the Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission (AJIC) and has started acting on its four recommendations, which include renouncing the province's half-interest in minerals on reserves and entering into agreements for child and family services that are developed and operated by Aboriginal communities.

The AJIC, led by commissioners Paul Chartrand and Wendy Whitecloud, was established last fall to review the report of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry, identify priority areas for government action, and make practical, cost-effective and attainable recommendations for improving justice programs and services for First Nations and Metis people in Manitoba.

"I would like to thank the commissioners, elder advisors and members of the Aboriginal community for their hard work," said Attorney General Gord Mackintosh. "While we cannot erase the frustration and disappointment caused by many years of inaction, we have begun implementing the report's recommendations -- signal of our commitment to the well-being of Aboriginal Manitobans and their families."

The commission, which is to deliver quarterly reports to the province, concluding in spring 2001, made four recommendations. They include:

  • entering into agreements with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and the Manitoba Metis Federation (MMF) to develop a plan that would result in First Nations and Metis communities developing and delivering Aboriginal child welfare services;
  • amending the Interpretation Act of Manitoba to provide that all legislation be interpreted subject to Aboriginal and treaty rights;
  • renouncing the provincial government's 50 per cent interest in minerals on Indian reserves; and
  • initiating discussions with the MMF to address matters within the jurisdiction of Manitoba that have been the subject of recommendations by the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry (AJI) and Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP).

Eric Robinson, Minister of Aboriginal and Northern Affairs, said the four recommendations have been accepted and are in various stages of implementation. The province will introduce amendments to the Interpretation Act during the upcoming session of the legislature, and a meeting has been set up with the MMF next week. The province will also relinquish its half claim on minerals found on reserves."These are historic, essential first steps towards the implementation of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry report," Robinson said. "Meaningful changes in our systems are needed if we are to restore trust and rebuild hope among Aboriginal people living in Manitoba. Our aim is to put in place comprehensive strategies that deal with long-term inequities and injustices."

Tim Sale, Minister of Family Services and Housing, said Manitoba has already taken significant steps with respect to child welfare issues. Two months ago, the province signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding with the MMF which will lead to the creation of a child and family services system for Metis throughout Manitoba. Similar negotiations with First Nations are underway.

"These agreements acknowledge that First Nations and Metis families have a right to develop and control the delivery of key child and family services," Sale said. "I am honoured to be part of a process which assists in building a society in which Aboriginal children and their families can live, learn, work and play within their own cultural traditions and beliefs."

In addition to its four recommendations, the AJIC was critical of the previous administration's record on AJI, concluding "there has not been a consistent overall plan to implement the recommendations of the inquiry. While there have been initiatives, pilot projects and progress in some areas, overall, by and large, the recommendations have not been implemented."

The AJIC also identified 10 priority areas for government, including child welfare, equity across government, police, community justice, early support and crime prevention measures for youth, family violence, Aboriginal rights, northern flood agreements, treaty land entitlements and Metis issues. Mackintosh said the government accepts these as "priority areas for action."

"These priority areas match a number of initiatives already announced by the province, specifically Neighbourhoods Alive! and Healthy Child," the Minister added. "Through these strategies, we will be focusing on programs such as parent-child centres, prenatal and early childhood nutrition, as well as housing, employment, recreation and safety initiatives that aid in building safe, stable and healthy communities."

The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry was established in April 1988 to investigate the condition of Aboriginal people in the justice system. The scope of the AJI included all aspects of the system-policing, courts and correctional services. The findings and recommendations of the AJI were released in the wide-ranging report of 1991.

One of the main recommendations of the AJI was to set up a commission to oversee implementation. Assisting AJIC commissioners' Chartrand and Whitecloud are elder advisors Eva McKay and Doris Young, and Ron Perozzo, a Justice Department coordinator who serves as a link between the AJIC and the programs of government.

Copies of the first quarterly report of the AJIC are available at the AJIC office, 440-500 Portage Ave., and on the commission's Web site at www.ajic.mb.ca

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