'I felt like I was betraying my own': Indigenous social workers open up about challenges

The CBC seriesUnbroken, which aired on CBC Radio One and CBCNews Vancouver April 8-11, shed light on the high rates of Indigenous infants apprehended by child welfare authorities in B.C.

It also looked at the cultural bias that some parents accused social workers of holding.

Since then, a number of current and former Indigenous social workers have told CBC News more Indigenous people are needed in child welfare to help facilitate an understanding of residential-school-induced trauma that some parents may have.

But some say thereareadditionalchallenges tobeing an Indigenous social worker.

"A lot of clients didn'tunderstandthat this is a job I had to do, and I'm bound by an act and by legislation there are times where I absolutely did notagree," said one Indigenous social worker the CBC is notnaming, as she fears for her safety.

"I felt like I was betraying my own," she added.

The social worker, who currently works for the Vancouver Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society, said she was targeted by parents whose children she had to remove and put into foster care.

Because the Indigenous community in East Vancouver is so small, she would often see the parents at First Nations events and meetings within the area.

After a while she stopped going to give them space.

But then shestarted to see her picture and address posted on social media, along with insultsrelated to the children she removed.

"If I were in that place, I would probably be that angry as well,but it was just so difficult when I saw my pictures being shared on Facebook andthe words that were being tied to me," she said.

She was called a "colonial oppressor"and her pictures, as well as her address, were posted online. She had to move her family to a new home and told her children not to tell anyone who their mother was.

"It's really disheartening, because I went into this wanting to help families and wanting to helpfamilies heal," she said.

Indigenous social workers needed

TerenaHuntis aKwakwaka'wakwwoman whoworked with the Vancouver Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society for three years and Ayas Men Men Child andFamily Services for the Squamish Nationfor two years.

She thinks more Indigenous social workers are needed in the child welfare system in B.C.

"They are necessary, as living knowledge of theIndigenous journey, to assisting families with their own journeys," Hunt said, pointing out that Indigenous social workers can often relate or understand the trauma that some Indigenous parents have been through.

According to a 2018 work environment survey fromtheMinistry of Children and Family Development, 6.2 per cent of employees (which included delegated Aboriginal agencies) identified as Indigenous. A representative at the ministry said the statistics may not givean accurate picture since employees must self-declareand not everyone may want to disclose.

The ministry also has anIndigenous recruitment and retention planand recentlyadded a manager of Indigenous culture and reconciliation positionto the human resources team to support it.

'Red Washing'

But Hunt says Indigenous social workers, especially those that are traditional or cultural,face an addedpressureof working within a system that was created with what she calls "colonialist views and practices."

She says Aboriginal child welfare agencies are often run the same way as non-Indigenous organizations but with the window dressing of Indigenous culture.

"A red-washing of such a harmful system is indirect opposition to thecultural values and practices of Indigenous people," Hunt said.

She believes thatthere are still remnants today of the child welfare policies such as those that led to the Sixties Scoop.

As for the social worker who was targeted by parents, sheoften questions hercareer choice but says remembering the families that she has helpedkeep togetheris what keeps her going.

"I am meant to be here.I get it, but there's still that really hard emotional piece to it," she said, addingthat new child welfare legislationin B.C., aimed atgivingIndigenous communities more of asay in apprehensions, will help keep more Indigenous families together.