Summary

There are upward of 11,000 Indigenous children and families in the Manitoba Child and Family Services (CFSs). Many factors coalesce as contributors to these high rates of care, including oppressive histories of Canadian settler colonialism, governmental policies and the Indian Residential Schools, and mass apprehensions of Indigenous children through “the 60’s scoop.” Although a process of “Devolution” began in Manitoba in 1999 to address Indigenous overrepresentation and improve cultural safety for children and families, the voices of women whose children are in care often remain silenced and marginal.

Findings

Utilizing an Indigenous Research lens, this qualitative study explored the stories and experiences of 12 Indigenous mothers involved with Manitoba CFS. The mothers’ stories revealed dynamics of power and control outlined in five core themes: (1) Being “set up to fail”; (2) Confronting “normalcy” and navigating case plans; (3) Dealing with tactics of intimidation; (4) Experiencing judgment and being labelled; and (5) Emotional politics. The mothers’ stories suggest that the CFS system continues to reflect colonial structures of oppression and that the “Devolution” did not fully have the intended impact on daily practice.

Applications

The womens' shared experiences highlight several areas for change, such as: enhanced family supports and worker relationships; utilization of capacity building frameworks; better institutional collaborations; increased efforts to maintain family relationships and units; and greater access to and quality of Indigenous cultural supports for mothers and children, including ceremony, healing, and access to Elders. Suggestions for more efficient and family-centered service provision are also offered.

中文翻译：

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土著母亲在儿童福利方面的权力和控制经验：家庭被倾听

概括

曼尼托巴省儿童和家庭服务中心 (CFS) 有超过 11,000 名土著儿童和家庭。许多因素共同促成了这些高护理率，包括加拿大定居者殖民主义的压迫历史、政府政策和印第安寄宿学校，以及通过“60 年代的独家新闻”对土著儿童的大规模逮捕。尽管马尼托巴省于 1999 年开始了“权力下放”进程，以解决土著人数过多的问题并改善儿童和家庭的文化安全，但其子女受到照料的妇女的声音往往保持沉默和边缘化。

发现

利用土著研究镜头，这项定性研究探讨了 12 位参与曼尼托巴 CFS 的土著母亲的故事和经历。母亲们的故事揭示了五个核心主题中概述的权力和控制动态：（1）“注定失败”；(2) 直面“常态”，导航案例计划；（三）处理恐吓手段；（四）经历判断被贴标签的；(5) 情绪政治。母亲们的故事表明，CFS 系统继续反映压迫的殖民结构，而“权力下放”并没有完全对日常实践产生预期的影响。

应用

女性分享的经验突出了几个需要改变的领域，例如：加强家庭支持和工人关系；利用能力建设框架；更好的机构合作；加大力度维护家庭关系和单位；为母亲和儿童提供更多的土著文化支持，包括仪式、治疗和接触长辈。还提供了更有效和以家庭为中心的服务提供的建议。