Indigenous leaders laud beautiful, happy Supreme Court ruling on child welfare jurisdiction

 By Shari Narine  Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the federal government was within its constitutional right to pass jurisdiction to Indigenous communities for the care of their children and families through a federal statute. “I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t worried about (the Feb. 9 judgement) all week. I made sure we did ceremony this week to make sure that it went in our favour,” said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. In a 92-page unanimous decision penned by the entire panel of eight Supreme Court justices, which included Odanak First Nation member Justice Michelle O’Bonsawin, Canada’s highest court said C-92, An Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Metis children, youth and families, “as a whole is constitutionally…

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