First Nations chiefs in Ontario voted overwhelmingly Wednesday in favour of a child welfare reform deal with the federal government.
The Ontario-specific deal to allow First Nations to take control of child welfare was supported by 76 chiefs in assembly, with four objections and three abstentions.
As the vote concluded, Ontario Regional Chief Abram Benedict said the decision will allow First Nations to end discrimination in their communities and offer better support to families.
“We can’t wait for a national agreement. It’s too important in our communities,” he told the chiefs gathered in Toronto.
“Yes, there’s a lot of work to do, but I believe today is a very momentous moment. Not only are we stopping discrimination in our communities — in your communities — we’re advancing your jurisdiction to create more tools to advance your nation.”
Benedict said he will keep chiefs briefed on developments over the next few months as the deal moves toward federal government and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) approval.
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“We will not always get to 100 per cent consensus, but we’re building upon the important work that we’re doing,” he said.
“This is not about the Ontario regional chief, this is not about the chiefs of Ontario. This is about each and every one of you as leaders and representatives of your communities … Miigwech and congratulations to each and every one of you.”
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A national $47.8 billion deal proposed by the federal government to reform the First Nations child welfare system was voted down on two occasions last year, when chiefs across the country said it didn’t go far enough on eliminating discrimination.
That deal was the result of a CHRT ruling that found the federal government was discriminating against First Nations children on reserve because they received less in child welfare funding than those who lived off-reserve.
The CHRT ordered Ottawa to work with First Nations across the country to reform the system.
The $47.8 billion national agreement was to cover 10 years of funding for First Nations, allowing them to take control of child welfare services from the federal government, create a body to deal with complaints and set aside money for prevention.
Chiefs in Ontario voted in favour of the package last year. They gathered in Toronto Wednesday to decide how to move forward with an Ontario-specific deal they negotiated with Ottawa that was largely in line with the terms of the national deal.
The side-deal with Ontario has been criticized for months by First Nations outside the province. The federal government told the Assembly of First Nations earlier this year it was not prepared to renegotiate reforms on a national level.
The chiefs may have little time to finalize the deal before the next federal election, which could come in early spring.
Benedict said last month he was confident an agreement could be finalized before the election because the reforms only need cabinet approval, not a vote in the House of Commons.
He is expected to address chiefs again during an official signing ceremony later Wednesday afternoon.