Today marks 13 days of an Elder in Eagle Lake First Nation on a hunger strike, hoping to draw attention to the Aboriginal Child Welfare system.
Brenda Morison started her hunger strike when visitation rights to her three great grandchildren were ceased over Thanksgiving weekend.
Morison provides an update.
“In regards to my great-grandchildren, visits with me have been reinstated but I’m continuing my hunger strike because I continue to oppose the current Aboriginal Child Welfare System.”
Morison says she will not eat until there’s clear action being taken by all levels of government working with Indigenous peoples and First Nations towards rebuilding the system.
“The leadership of grand council treaty 3 and the national level, must lead to charge in changing the systemic barriers hat our Anishnaabe child welfare agencies operate in.
Morison adds the strike is about more than just about her family, but also many others who’s stories need to be heard.
“There’s children that have been lost in the system, people that aren’t here anymore. But also the five, six hundred emails that I’m getting that relate to the problems to the native child welfare system. I’m doing it for the families, the children and the communities that have been broke. There has been no healing. I know the end results of what happens to children in the system and don’t go home. Yes we have some success stories, but a majority are not.”
Morison says she hopes she can bring to light the issues within the child welfare system, including how it operates under provincial guidelines and how systemic barriers against Indigenous peoples don’t work and never will work, without change.
