As a Social Worker in Northern First Nations, am I also a Peacebuilder?

350 Pages·2015·1.96 MB·English

As a Social Worker in Northern First Nations, am I also a Peacebuilder?
By
Mary Anne Clarke

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies of
The University of Manitoba
In partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Peace and Conflict Studies
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg

Copyright © 2014 by Mary Anne Clarke
As a Social Worker in Northern First Nations, am I also a Peacebuilder?

Clarke, Mary Anne. 2014. As a Social Worker in Northern First Nations, am I also a
Peacebuilder? Master’s Thesis. University of Manitoba.

Through this Peace and Conflict Studies autoethnography, I relate my stories in
relationship to the First Nations lands and peoples of Northern Manitoba within the context
of Child and Family Services. The stories identify relationships between social work
interventions and peace-building interventions—when they are the same, and when and
how they differ. My stories of my experiences provide examples of my potentially
contributing to the structural violence of colonization through assimilation, and when my
interventions are consistent with peace-building to reverse the assimilation of colonization.
The theories of structural violence, colonization, assimilation and genocide as they relate
to the author’s experiences provide the framework to tell the anecdotal stories to identify
the complex relationships. Even though I may have the best of intentions, as a social
worker, am I also truly a peacebuilder? Or am I working in ways which contribute to the
structural violence of colonization? How much agency do I really have? My stories
describe my emotions of inner conflict and turmoil as I identify the day-to-day challenges
ingrained within the system to build peace by reversing the tide of removing children from
their families, communities, cultures and identities. The stories also identify some
successes I have experienced at peace-building by strengthening and unifying families and
communities in response to experiences of colonization.

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Acknowledgements
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge my Thesis Advisor, Dr. Jessica Senehi,
and my Thesis Advisory Committee that includes Sr. Sean Byrne, Dr. Neil Funk-Unrau, and Dr.
Shirley Thompson. Your patience, encouragement, wisdom and teachings have made this thesis
possible.
All of the faculty, staff and students of the Arthur V. Mauro Centre at St. Paul’s College at
the University of Manitoba have also been integral in my studies and writings. Special mention
goes to Susan Ducharme, Annette Jones, Dr. Maureen Flaherty, and Dr. Chris Adams. Many
fellow students have also been my teachers and have become my lifelong friends and are now
scattered and building peace around the world.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies has made the Peace and Conflict Studies program
possible, and have also provided me with individual assistance through the 2011-12 Faculty of
Graduate Studies Special Award Number 91254, $5,000, and the 2012-13 University of Manitoba
Graduate Students’ Association Award, $12,000 which helped to make my studies possible. And
the generosity of St. Paul’s College with their own financial assistance is also deeply appreciated.

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Dedication
This thesis is dedicated to everyone whose lives have been affected by the structural
violence and all who are working to build peace in response to the colonization that exists within
Canada. In particular it is dedicated to those whose lives have been entwined within Child and
Family Services in any role or experience, and all who are working to safely keep children within
their families, communities, identities and lands.
Most specifically, this thesis is dedicated to my own family from where I came and my
children and grandchildren, who are my future. My family also includes all those in my life who I
have birthed, raised, or who have chosen me for their mother, grandmother, aunt, sister, daughter,
cousin and friend. You are who make me whole.
And my deepest inspiration comes from my daughter who chose me. Rest in peace.

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Legend

AJI – Aboriginal Justice Inquiry
AJIC – Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission
AJI-CWI – Aboriginal Justice Inquiry-Child Welfare Initiative
AMC – Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
CEO – Chief Executive Officer
CFS – Child and Family Services
FNCFS – First Nations Child and Family Services
IRS – Indian Residential Schools
MKO – Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak
NFN – Northern First Nations
NFNCFS – Northern First Nations Child and Family Services
PACS – Peace and Conflict Studies
RCAP – Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples
SCO – Southern Chiefs Organization
TRC – Truth and Reconciliation Commission
UN – United Nations

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Table of Contents
Introduction 1
As a Social Worker in Northern First Nations, am I also a Peacebuilder? 1
Organization of the Thesis 4
Terminology 7

Chapter 1 Context: The Land and People of Northern First Nations in Manitoba and their
Relationships to Child and Family Service 12
A. Geographical, Historical and Cultural Context of Northern First Nations Child and
Family Services in Manitoba 13
Introduction 13
The Land 13
Indian Residential Schools 17
History of Child and Family Services in Manitoba and Northern First Nations 21
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry 29
The History of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry and its Process 30
The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry’s Relationship to Child and Family Services 32
Tri-Partite Child and Family Services Agreements 37
Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission 39
B. Organizational Context: The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry – Child Welfare
Initiative System in Relation to Manitoba’s Northern First Nations 41
Aboriginal Justice Inquiry – Child Welfare Initiative 41
Social Work Perspective of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry–Child Welfare
Initiative 45
Introduction to Service Delivery within Manitoba’s Child and Family Services
System 47
My Personal Experiences within the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry-Child Welfare
Initiative 50
Conclusion 57

Chapter 2 Peace and Conflict Studies Theories in Relation to The Aboriginal Justice Inquiry-
Child Welfare Initiative Child and Family Services in Manitoba’s Northern First Nations 59
Introduction 59
Violence 60
Structural Violence 61
Colonization 64
Imperialism 70
Oppression 72
Identity and Assimilation 75
Genocide 81
Genocide and Indigenous Peoples 88
The Pracademics of Paulo Freire, John Paul Lederach, and Roger Mac Ginty
within Peace and Conflict Studies 96
Conclusion 103

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Chapter 3 Methodology: Autoethnography 106
Introduction to Autoethnography 106
Autoethnographic Research Methods 120
Definition of Autoethnography 122
Autoethnography and my Relationship with Northern First Nations Child
and Family Services 123
Organizational Autoethnography 131
Conclusion 139

Chapter 4 Self-Positioning: Where I Come From, Who I Am and My Future 142
Introduction of Self (Positioning) 142
How Maire Aoine O’Cleary/Mary Anne Clarke Became Wabigoon-Esqua 143
Going Public 151
My “Professional” Beginnings 155
Charles William Redhead 157
Submission to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission January 12, 2011 158
Conclusion 167

Chapter 5 Empirical Chapter: Narratives of My Motivations 168
Introduction 168
Mary Anne: Human Being or Worker? 169
Failure – Professional 173
Trina 173
Failure – Personal 175
My Son 179
My Son in Relation to Children in Care with Special Needs 189
My Girl 195
The Dream that Turned into a Nightmare 196
We did everything we could… 204
Meadow’s Message to Me 208
Conclusion 213

Chapter 6 Empirical Chapter: Narratives on My Personal and My Collective
Responsibilities 215
Introduction 215
My Girl and I in Relation to Child and Family Services 215
Speaking Out for Those Who Can’t, or Whom are Not Heard 217
Blame 220
Conclusion 229

Chapter 7 Peace-building In Relation to Child and Family Services in Manitoba’s
Northern First Nations 230
Introduction 230
Have I Committed Structural Violence? 234

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Identity and Assimilation, Colonization and Genocide in Northern First
Nations in Manitoba 236
First Nations Leadership in Relation to the Structural Violence within
Child and Family Services 238
Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak’s Peace-building 241
My Role in Assimilation, Colonization and Genocide in Northern First
Nations in Manitoba 245
Peace-building Methods in Northern First Nations in Manitoba 246
My Own Role in Peace-building in Northern First Nations 255
Conclusion 258

Conclusion 260
Introduction 260
Identity 260
Secrecy, Denial and Silencing 264
Enormity of the Pain 268
My Personal Sense for Meaning 269
Conclusion 270

References 272

Appendixes 301
Appendix #1 Manitoba Child and Family Services Act (2005)
Declaration of Principles 301
Appendix #2 Manitoba Child and Family Services Authorities Act (2009) 302
Appendix #3 Manitoba Child and Family Services Act (2005) Section 17 303
Appendix #4 Letter to Truth and Reconciliation Commission 2013 304
Appendix #5 Report to Honourable Kevin Chief, May 19, 2013 325
Appendix #6 Letter to Northern Authority, June 18, 2013 331
Appendix #7 Resolution #2010-08-08 Exercising Inherent Authority
Over CFS in the MKO Region 336
Attachment #1 General Consent Form 338
Attachment #2 Reviewer Consent Form 339

REB Approval Certificate

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INTRODUCTION

AS A SOCIAL WORKER IN NORTHERN FIRST NATIONS,
AM I ALSO A PEACEBUILDER?

As a social worker, am I also a peace-builder? Or am I working in ways which contribute to the
structural violence of colonization? Or both, and, if so, in what ways? Within the context of
Manitoba’s Northern First Nations and the current Aboriginal Justice Inquiry–Child Welfare
Initiative (AJI-CWI), are my social work interventions consistent with peace-building
interventions? Are my own experiences in Manitoba’s current AJI-CWI Child and Family Services
(CFS) system, a healing, peace-building response to the structural violence of colonialism in
Northern First Nations (NFNs) in Manitoba? Or am I continuing the violence of assimilationist
colonization? When I work as a social worker, do my actions support the structural violence,
colonization, genocide, and assimilation that has affected First Nations families, in part, through
the removal of the children from their families, lands, cultures and identities? Or am I building
peace by working with First Nations to counter the colonizing loss of children, supporting their
own work to heal and strengthen their families, which are the cores of their nations?
As a practicing social worker and as a practicing peace-builder, my work is done through
interventions. Merriam-Webster’s (2014) definitions of interventions include:
1: to occur, fall, or come between points of time or events[…] 2: to enter or appear
as an irrelevant or extraneous feature or circumstance[…] 3a : to come in or between
by way of hindrance or modification[…] b : to interfere with the outcome or course
especially of a condition or process (as to prevent harm or improve functioning)
4: to occur or lie between two things 5 a : to become a third party to a legal

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