Recommendations to keep Indigenous families together in the DTES

Recommendation 114: Implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Actions on Child Welfare, recommendations in Indigenous Resilience, Connectedness and Reunification – From Root Causes to Root Solutions by Special Advisor Grand Chief Ed John, and recommendations in Calling Forth Our Future: Options for the Exercise of Indigenous Peoples’ Authority in Child Welfare by the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.

Recommendations to keep Indigenous families together in the DTES

End child apprehensions

Recommendation 115: End the apprehension of Indigenous children due to poverty or Eurocentric ideas of neglect that stem from a legacy of colonization. Poverty must not be conflated with neglect or mistreatment, and removing children from their families exacerbates cycles of trauma and poverty.

Recommendations to keep Indigenous families together in the DTES

End child apprehensions

Recommendation 116: Immediately disallow apprehensions of Indigenous babies at birth and while they are still breastfeeding.

Recommendations to keep Indigenous families together in the DTES

End child apprehensions

Recommendation 117: Prohibit the placement of Indigenous children into non-Indigenous foster and adoptive families, and regularly report on how many Indigenous children are in government care and how many are being placed in non-Indigenous homes.

Recommendations to keep Indigenous families together in the DTES

Support Indigenous families

Recommendation 120: Ensure families are able to maintain an adequate standard of living by raising income assistance and disability rates, ensuring safe and affordable housing, and guaranteeing food and transit allowances.

Recommendations to end criminalization of Indigenous women in the DTES

Recommendation 133: All levels of government must recognize the inherent and constitutionally protected right of Indigenous people to establish and control Indigenous justice systems. All levels of government must also fund the establishment of Indigenous law institutes to support the restoration and advancement of Indigenous legal systems.

Recommendations to end criminalization of Indigenous women in the DTES

Recommendation 134: Redirect growing municipal, provincial, and federal police and prison budgets towards solutions that increase safety for Indigenous women such as more housing, child care, income, healthcare, mental health and addictions services, and healing supports.

Recommendations to end criminalization of Indigenous women in the DTES

Recommendation 135: Implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on Justice for Indigenous Peoples.

Recommendations to end criminalization of Indigenous women in the DTES

Policing

Recommendation 136: As in other jurisdictions, prohibit the police from carrying and using all lethal weapons. Even in the most escalated scenario, there is no justification for a police-involved lethal shooting.

Recommendations to end criminalization of Indigenous women in the DTES

Policing

Recommendation 143: All police forces should implement Sex Work Enforcement Guidelines similar to those in Vancouver that support the safety of sex workers in police interactions.