Credit:Andrew Johnson

By Sam Bennison

Indigenous

Binche and Simpcw sign children and family agreement

Sep 20, 2024 | 5:00 AM

BINCHE – The Binche Whut’en and Simpcw First Nation held a ceremony on September 18 to sign a new relationship protocol that lays out how the two Nations will work together when children in the welfare system has ancestral ties to both communities. This protocol originates from a traditional trade commitment made on March 15, 2023, when Simpcw traded its Tcwesetmentem (Walking Together) S. 92.1 Agreement with Binche for 30 ice-cream buckets of huckleberries, and 3 lbs of Ludi musjek (Muskeg Tea).

“This Protocol is an agreement that Simpcw will honour with integrity, just as we did with our traditional trade of our Tcwesetmentem S. 92.1 Agreement in exchange for Binche’s Huckleberries and Muskeg Tea,” said Alison Green, Simpcw Councillor. “Entering into this Protocol is really important to me as my husband is a Gitanmaax member, and my children are Simpcw and Gitxsan. This agreement between our Nations sets out how we will work together to support the best interests, cultural, familial and territory connections for our Simpcw and Binche children and families.”

“I am filled with filled with so much happiness as we sign this historic agreement with Simpcw, which I understand is the first one of its kind between Indigenous Nations that cements our commitment to work together to achieve the best outcomes for our children and families that have ties to our Nations,” said Chief Jarrod Tom. “Reflecting on our journey of becoming our own independent Nation in 2019, to see how far we’ve come to be signing two landmark agreements for the safety and wellbeing of our children and families; today is a historic day for us, a celebration that has been a long-time in the making. When we became independent, we didn’t have any money to celebrate that historic achievement – today, we celebrate!”

The landmark agreement includes a dispute resolution model that is built upon the two nations customs, legal traditions and traditional decision-making. The goal is to ensure the transmission of each Nations culture, traditions, language and connections to the children and families in the community.

“We have to work together, that is a sacred responsibility that our ancestors passed to us as it is only us as Indigenous people who hold the solutions for our people and,” said Kukwpi7 (Chief) George Lampreau. “We proudly enter this agreement with Binche so that we, not the Ministry or government, so that we can work together to the best of our abilities to help create the best possible future and wellbeing for our shared families and children.”

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Jessica Erickson, Family Development Manager shared, “I have watched and learned so much from Simpcw, who are recognized as an absolute leader in transformational change for Indigenous children and families as they’ve blazed new trails and reached historic agreements that now, I have the huge honour and am proudly able to say to our people, ‘Binche Whut’en, we got it done!’ I look forward to continuing our relationship with Simpcw, and also seeking to create protocols and agreements with our many Dakelh communities that we share families and children with. Today is the start of us all taking back our decision-making authority, and that’s a trail we have embarked on and there is no turning back.”

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com