"Honoring community: Development of a First Nations stream in social work"

Abstract

For the past 20 years First Nations leaders of northern British Columbia have been advocating for a Social Work program that would address the unique needs of First Nations communities. This is not surprising given the historical destruction of First Nations families and communities as a result of colonization. Many would argue that current child welfare practices continue on where residential schools left off in implementing government assimilation policies. Approximately 30% of all children in care in Canada are Aboriginal (Fournier and Crey, 1998). This is no different in British Columbia. In the northern half of the province the number of Aboriginal children in continuing care is as high as 80% (Children's Commission Annual Report, 1998). The need for culturally sensitive child welfare practices is critical to First Nations communities and families.

With the opening of a new northern university in 1992, University of Northern British Columbia, there was a renewed hope by northern First Nations leaders for a Social Work program that would meet their needs as well as support their vision for a future of self sufficiency and independence. This paper describes one small step in that vision, that is, the development of First Nations Social Work courses. To better understand this development process it is first important to be aware of the context in which it was undertaken.