Gitanmaax child facing apprehension will remain in community, says chief

A First Nation in B.C. that blocked social workers from taking a child away earlier this month says aprovincial courthasruled the child should remain in the community.

"It was the right decision. It was the honourable decision. And it was a small step in the right direction toward reconciliation," said GitanmaaxBand Chief Tracey Woods in a newsrelease.

Woods, along with hereditary chiefs, matriarchs, and community members, stood outside of a home on Oct. 16and blocked Ministry of Child and Family Development (MCFD) social workers from apprehending a six-year-old child,worried that the MCFD was trying to take the childto relatives in Ontario.

A news release from the Gitanmaax Band on Friday said ajudgehad ruled that the best interests of thechild required her to remain in the custody of her family and her nation in her cultural home on the Gitanmaax reserve.

The child is a Gitanmaax member, and the child'smother is also from the community.

In an emailed response toCBCNews, the MCFD wrote that it is "unable to comment on matters involving specific children, youth, and families."

Woods said in the news release that the child is safe and that the First Nationremains committed to working collaboratively with the director, MCFD and the minister to ensure the child remains in Gitanmaax with [their]family."