Child welfare in Gitanmaax : a case study of the practice of self-government
Creators: name: McCrimmon, Sharron
Publisher: name: University of British Columbia
Year: 2009

description: The 'inherent right to self-government' of First Nations is a topic of discourse at both political and legal levels in Canada. Self-government and the related issues of land claims and associated First Nations protests are subjects currently debated in Canadian society and are frequently found on the front pages of Canadian newspapers. That First Nations are significant in Canadian social policy is becoming increasingly clear. From the Royal Proclamation to the current Treaty Negotiations in British Columbia, First Nations have insisted that they be recognized as having unique cultures and unique cultural strengths within Canada. Their insistence has been manifested in a variety of ways, including the protests of symbolic politics, of high politics at national and provincial levels, and the simple assertion of jurisdiction in their communities - 'practicing' self-government. The thesis examines the implications and potential consequences for aboriginal peoples, and for the federal and provincial States, of self-government by focusing on one substantive area of governance; that of child welfare. Looking at the self-government policies of the State, the study begins with a question: 'Despite the empowerment rhetoric of self-government, are federal selfgovernment policies a continuation, even an intensification of past policies of cultural assimilation or will self-government as practiced by First Nations reinvigorate and reinforce indigenous customary systems'? The work is grounded in the literature of self-government, sociology, anthropology, political economy, women's studies, history and law, and in a case study, of the practice of selfgovernment in the Gitxsan community of Gitanmaax. The initial chapter explores the key concepts used in the research. The second chapter goes on to examine the Canadian legislative context - which forms a collective history for both the dominant Canadian society and First Nations - and out of which has grown the need for 'self-government'. In the third chapter, diverse understandings of 'family' in Euro-Canadian and Gitxsan societies are contrasted. The contextual underpinnings of Gitxsan society are considered so that the dynamics which the Gitxsan Nation bring to the idea of self-government can be included in the analysis of the practice of child welfare in the fourth chapter. The case study of the practice of self-government in Gitanmaax is recounted in light of the dialectical and dynamic relations established between two cultures within the Canadian State. The observations of the case study are analysed in terms of its meaning to Canadian social policy, to relations between institutions of both Gitxsan and Euro-Canadian society, and to future relations within the context of a 'new paradigm' in interactions. Conclusion In Gitanmaax, the case study finds little evidence that the Gitxsan will allow their systems and their language - thus their culture - to be subsumed within the institutions of the dominant society. At the same time, there are indications of a shift in the State agenda to a focus on aboriginal peoples as distinct self-governing societies (Armitage, 1995; Fleras and Elliott, 1992). Recognition within the dominant society of First Nations and of their societal systems is a prerequisite to coexistence within the Canadian State. The case study points toward significant lessons to be learned about culturally competent systems and respectful coexistence across cultures.