Innu Nation 'disappointed and embarrassed' Ottawa won't participate in foster care inquiry

The Grand Chief of the Innu Nation in Labrador says he's "disappointed and embarrassed" by the federal government's refusal to participate in an upcoming inquiry about Innu children in foster care.

Plans for an inquiry were announced by the Newfoundland and Labrador government in July, after a series of deaths in the Innu community of Natuashish.

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"I thought they were going to join us," Gregory Rich said of the federal government.

"We've been after them for quite some time to be involved."

According to the Innu Nation, there are 165 Labrador Innu children in foster care, 80 of whom are placed outside their home communities of Natuashish and Sheshatshiu.

"When they're out of their community, they lose their language, they lose their culture. There's no connection," Rich said.

While child welfare is normally the domain of provincial governments, Rich contends the federal government must also be involved in any review, because First Nations have direct dealings with Health Canada and Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.

In an emailed statement, a spokesperson for Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada described the pending inquiry as "provincially constituted," but pledged $250,000 to "support activities related to child and family services that would inform the inquiry's work."

"They need to be involved in the inquiry," Rich said, "It's an issue that's been happening for many, many years."

Number of children in care a 'crisis'

In August, then-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett told CBC News her department planned to be involved the inquiry, but she didn't elaborate on the role her government would play.

"We will look at that and then work with them to see how we could be the most helpful," Bennett said.

• Details on foster care inquiry coming, say Innu Grand Chief, ministers

• Indigenous child welfare rates creating 'humanitarian crisis' in Canada, says federal minister

In October, federal Indigenous Services Minister Jane Philpott compared the high number of Indigenous children in foster care to the residential school system and described the situation as a "humanitarian crisis."

"She is right, it is a humanitarian crisis," Rich said. "The damaging effects are real; the federal government [needs] to realize that."

A spokesperson for Premier Dwight Ball wrote in an email, "We believe strongly that all three parties all must be actively engaged in the process of improving outcomes for these children, and will revisit this matter with the federal government as we continue ongoing work to establish this inquiry."

The spokesperson offered no timeline for beginning the inquiry, which was originally scheduled for September 2017.