Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the land on which we work is situated within the traditional and treaty territory of the Mississauga’s of Scugog Island First Nation, signatories of the 1788 Gunshot Treaty and 1923 Williams Treaties. This land is home to the Indigenous Peoples.
Let us acknowledge the deliberate acts and traumas of the past through authenticity, solidarity, truth, and reconciliation.
Let us celebrate Indigenous communities by being leaders of action in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations.
Let us move forward together with kindness and respect.
Founded in 1998, Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services is a multi-service Indigenous wellbeing agency that provides a stable foundation for children, youth, and families through wraparound services that are culturally-based and family-focused. Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services delivers services to eight First Nation communities, seeking to support families in the way they deserve, with care and authenticity, and by recognizing and respecting spirit.
The trailblazing work of Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services is clearing a path for inspiring, ground-breaking work that helps, heals, and changes lives.
Durham Children’s Aid Society is honoured to work alongside Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services.
If you or your child identify as First Nations, Inuit or Métis, or having Indigenous heritage, please feel welcome to connect with Dnaagdawenmag Binnoojiiyag Child and Family Services, who are an Indigenous child and family wellbeing agency providing culturally and spiritually appropriate services to Indigenous communities.
On June 6, 2017, the Ontario child welfare sector unanimously agreed to prioritize Reconciliation with Indigenous communities through nine key commitments. Each Children’s Aid Society (CAS) has committed to:
Reduce the number of Indigenous children in care.
Reduce the number of legal files involving Indigenous children and families.
Increase the use of formal customary care* agreements.
Ensure Indigenous representation and involvement at the local Board of Directors.
Implement mandatory Indigenous training for staff.
Change their inter-agency protocol to include Jordan’s Principle** as a fundamental principle.
In consultation with the Indigenous communities, develop a unique agency-based plan to better address the needs of the children and families from those communities.
Continue to develop relationships between their agency and the local Indigenous communities.
Assist those individuals wanting to see their historical files by accessing and providing the information they request.
*Customary care leaves the responsibility for the care of the child with the Indigenous community.
**Jordan’s Principle is a child-first principle aimed at ensuring that services to First Nations children are not denied, delayed, or disrupted due to jurisdictional disputes. The principle is named for Jordan River Anderson, a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba. Learn more here.
To read more about Truth and Reconciliation and the child welfare sector, please see the following resources.
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