In 1999, little Cree boy Jordan River Anderson was born in Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. He had multiple disabilities and complex medical needs which meant he would need to stay in a hospital. When he was 2 doctors said he could be moved to a special home that could accommodate his extensive needs. However, the federal and provincial governments couldn’t agree on who should pay for his home care costs, which meant Jordan would remain in a hospital for the remainder of his life which ended tragically at the age of 5.1 Jordan was never able to go home, nor did he ever have the opportunity to be surrounded by family or community. This is a frustrating analogy to the residential school and Indian Hospital experiences many First Nations children endured. Even at the turn of the new millennium, this was a sad reminder that Reconciliation has a very long way to go.
Following his death, in 2007 the Federal House of Commons2 unanimously passed Motion-296 supporting and affirming that the government should immediately adopt a child-first principle: “Jordan’s Principle”, which intended to ensure no jurisdictional gaps or delays would ever happen again in providing First Nations children prompt access to required services, products, or supports they need. Furthermore, it would ensure that the first governmental body to be approached would be the one to pay for the child’s care, leaving jurisdictional disputes over responsibility of the costs to a later date.3
A child’s access to healthcare and quality of that care should not be up for debate, and has no business being a political dispute. Yet, unfortunately, that is what happens for many First Nations children who are either denied universal health care, endure unequal and delayed care, or are institutionalized in non-indigenous institutions away from family and community, all because governments have politicized their health and not honored their treaty obligations to health.4
The TRC Call to Action #3 states that Jordan’s Principle be fully implemented by all levels of government. By failing to promptly acknowledge inadequacies and implement comparable funding to Indigenous children without any delays, Canada discriminates against First Nations children. This on-going battle is a heavy hindrance to Reconciliation. Elder Elmer Courchene said it best on the Jordan River Anderson Documentary, The Messenger: "“Do justice, loving justice, caring justice, honest justice, respectful justice for our little ones. Simple.” 5
Due to hard fought battles, recent changes and implementations by different levels of governments in Canada have resulted in improved funding outcomes. In November 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by eleven First Nations and Federal, Provincial and Territorial governments. This trilateral agreement was the first of its kind.6 Since 2018, additional tribunal and judicial rulings have attempted to cement eligibility rules for First Nations children and families. This will be discussed more in detail on tomorrows blog.
Please read tomorrow’s blog entry to find out what final grade ReconciliAction YEG gives Canada for TRC Call to Action #3.
[1] https://fncaringsociety.com/sites/default/files/Jordan's%20Principle%20Information%20Sheet.pdf
[2]https://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/maternal-child-and-family-health/jordans-principle/faqs
[3] Private Member’s Motion M-296, 1st Sess, 39th Parl, 2007 (tabled by Jean Crowder, Nanaimo-Cowichan NDP, unanimously passed by House of Commons, 12 December 2007). See Vandna Sinha & Anne Blumenthal, “From the House of Commons resolution to Pictou Landing Band Council and Maurina Beadle v. Canada: An update on the implementation of Jordan’s Principle” (2014) 9:1 First People’s Review 80.
[4]https://www.cerp.gouv.qc.ca/fileadmin/Fichiers_clients/Documents_deposes_a_la_Commission/P-772-31.pdf#:~:text=Jordan%E2%80%99s%20Principle%3A%20Reconciliation%20and%20the%20First%20Nations%20Child,process%20of%20truth%20and%20healing%2C%20leading%20toward%20recon-
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cOT6snSDe4w
[6]https://rdnewsnow.com/2018/11/16/alberta-first-nations-sign-new-agreement-to-uphold-jordans-principle/
