Chief Desmond Bull, Chief Randy Ermineskin, Chief Wilton Littlechild, Chief Vernon Saddleback, and Proxy Chase McDougall speak at Maskwacis press conference on Monday, June 27, 2022. (rdnewsNOW/Alessia Proietti File Photo)

By Canadian Press

Alberta First Nation signing child welfare agreement with feds without the province

Feb 1, 2023 | 8:54 AM

An Alberta First Nation is to sign an agreement Wednesday with Ottawa giving it the autonomy to administer its child welfare.

Louis Bull Tribe at Maskwacis, Alta., south of Edmonton, would become the first in the province to do so.

The First Nation says it’s a bilateral agreement with the federal government and does not involve the province.

Last year, Louis Bull’s child welfare organization said Alberta wasn’t co-operating and didn’t want to sign the agreement.

Ottawa passed the legislation in 2020 with a focus on prevention so families can receive support to remain together.

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Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan was the first to sign the agreement in 2021, and dozens of others across the country are waiting.

Wabaseemoong Independent Nations in Ontario and Peguis First Nation in Manitoba have also signed agreements with Ottawa and their provincial governments.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.

The Canadian Press