Aboriginal activist claims vindication in $20,000 ruling against feds

An aboriginal child welfare advocate says she has beenvindicated by a recent ruling from the Canadian Human RightsTribunal, which found a government official "retaliated" againsther six years ago.

The tribunal sided with Cindy Blackstock, president of the FirstNations Child and Family Caring Society. It ordered the Departmentof Aboriginal Affairs to pay Blackstock $20,000 for pain andsuffering and the behaviour of David McArthur, former specialassistant to then-minister Chuck Strahl.

McArthur is now chief of staff to Natural Resources Minister GregRickford.The decision zeroed in on McArthur.

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"There is no doubt that the respondent's actions had a wilfuland reckless nature," the ruling said. "Dr. Blackstock was theonly individual excluded from the meeting, which supports hercontention that she was singled out."

Blackstock said she plans to donate the money to children'scharities.

"I haven't received anything as of yet, and of course, we haveto see within 30 days if the federal government is going to appealit or not."

In the Commons on Monday, opposition parties asked if thegovernment would apologize to Blackstock.

Mark Strahl, parliamentary secretary to the aboriginal affairsminister and son of Chuck Strahl, said the government is "reviewingthe tribunal's decision to determine next steps."

The dispute centres on a December 2009 meeting at the ministerialheadquarters in Gatineau, Que. Blackstock said she was the onlyperson barred from a gathering with the chiefs of Ontario.

"It was shocking and it was embarrassing for me personally,"Blackstock said in an interview. "I cleared all the proper securityclearances and everything else and was conducting myself in aprofessional manner when I was refused access to that meeting. Infact, the chiefs were told if I went in the room, the meeting wouldnot go forward."

Blackstock is a central figure in a long-standing battle with thefederal government over aboriginal child welfare that began beforethe problematic meeting.

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society opened a humanrights complaint in 2007, along with the Assembly of First Nations.Hearings on the issue began six years later.Blackstock said a ruling could now "come any day."

"The tribunal will determine if the federal government isracially discriminating against these 163,000 kids," she said.
"And far more importantly, if they are, they will order them to fixit so these kids have a fair chance at growing up in theirfamilies."

In its sweeping recommendations, the Truth and ReconciliationCommission on Indian residential schools called on the federalgovernment to enact child welfare legislation that "establishesnational standards for aboriginal child apprehension and custodycases."

The government is reviewing all 94 recommendations issued by thecommission last week.