Image: Members of the Sts'ailes celebrate the signing of that Child and Family Services Coordination Agreement on September 9, 2024 / M. Crispin, Sts'ailes Nation

By Fraser Valley Today Staff

Historic Agreement

Coordination Agreement empowers Sts’ailes Child and Family Services

Sep 6, 2024 | 2:32 PM

STS’AILES XA’XA TEMEXW – Following four years of negotiations, the Sts’ailes Nation, alongside the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia, took a significant step today toward what is being seen as a safeguarding of the well-being and cultural identity of Sts’ailes children and families.

The signing of a child and family services coordination agreement was celebrated in a ceremony in Sts’ailes, near Agassiz. It was attended by Siyam te Sts’ailes (Sts’ailes Leadership), the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services, and the Honourable Grace Lore, British Columbia’s Minister of Children and Family Development.

Image: Members of the Sts’ailes celebrate the signing of that Child and Family Services Coordination Agreement on September 9, 2024 / M. Crispin, Sts’ailes Nation

The agreement empowers the Sts’ailes community to oversee the delivery of child and family services through their own legal framework, Snowoyelh te Emi:melh te Sts’ailes.

Under this framework, the Snowoyelh Department will manage the safety and well-being of Sts’ailes children and families while fostering cultural pride and identity. The law is meant to allow children to grow up connected to their family, land, and heritage, preserving their culture, traditions, and languages.

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“For decades, since 1972, Sts’ailes worked diligently with the Ministry of Children and Families (MCFD) to reclaim responsibility over its children and families, to bring their children home, to re-connect the children with their families, the Sts’ailes community and their cultural and spiritual practices,” said Willie Charlie, the Grand Chief and Chief Executive Officer of Sts’ailes. “Siyam te Sts’ailes (Sts’ailes Leadership) are celebrating this historic signing on Friday Sept 6, 2024 in Sts’ailes, where Canada and B.C. will recognize and honour Sts’ailes jurisdiction of Sts’ailes children and families.”

Canada committed $118.8 million over the course of nearly a decade to support the initiative, with funding subject to annual adjustments for inflation and population growth. British Columbia has pledged $16.4 million, also subject to adjustments.

Minister Hajdu emphasized the importance of investing in Indigenous-led reforms, noting that communities like Sts’ailes are best positioned to determine what their children and families need. “Today, the people of Sts’ailes are taking back control of their child and family services something that rightfully belonged to them all along. With the signing of this coordination agreement, Sts’ailes children and families will grow up immersed in their culture and traditional knowledge, supported by their communities,” said Hajdu.

According to a news release, the coordination agreement not only guarantees funding, but also affirms Sts’ailes’ right to care for current and future generations.