Cindy Blackstock facts for kids

Cindy Blackstock is a Canadian activist from the Gitxsan First Nation. Born around 1964, she is a strong voice for the rights of First Nations children. She leads the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada. She is also a professor at McGill University's School of Social Work.

Cindy Blackstock's Early Life and Work

Cindy Blackstock was born in 1964 in Burns Lake, British Columbia. She studied at several universities, earning a Bachelor's degree from the University of British Columbia. She also has two Master's degrees and a PhD in social work from the University of Toronto.

People describe Cindy Blackstock as a "relentless moral voice" for equality. She has become a very important person in the Indigenous community. She also works with social workers and groups that protect children's rights. Cindy Blackstock often speaks out about unfairness in public services. These unfair situations affect First Nations children, youth, and their families.

Fighting for Human Rights in Court

In 2007, Cindy Blackstock's organization, the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada, teamed up with the Assembly of First Nations. They filed a complaint saying that Canada was treating First Nations children unfairly. They said the government was not giving enough money for child welfare services on reserves. This meant First Nations children did not get the same support as other children in Canada.

The government even watched Cindy Blackstock because she was helping First Nations children. The groups fighting for children's rights used reports from the Auditor General of Canada to show the unfairness.

The Canadian government tried many times to stop the complaint from being heard in court. But they were not successful. The case went to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal for a full hearing.

In 2011, the Tribunal first dismissed the case. It said that the services for First Nations children could not be compared to services for other children. But the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and others appealed this decision.

In April 2012, the Federal Court overturned the Tribunal's decision. It said the Tribunal made a mistake and that the hearing was unfair. This meant the case could go forward with a new hearing. The Canadian government tried to appeal again, but the Federal Court of Appeal dismissed their appeal in March 2013. This cleared the way for the full hearing to begin.

A Landmark Decision for Children

On January 26, 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal made a very important decision. It ruled that the Canadian government had been unfair to First Nations children. The government had not given enough money for child and family services on reserves for a long time. It also failed to make sure First Nations children could get government services like other children. This was against the law and discriminated against 163,000 First Nations children.

The Tribunal ordered the government to stop this unfair treatment. It also said the government must follow something called Jordan's Principle. This principle means that First Nations children should get the services they need without delays. It also means they should not be denied services because of arguments about which government (federal or provincial) should pay.

The Tribunal issued more orders in the following years. It was concerned that Canada was not fully following the first decision. In 2017, the Tribunal even linked Canada's lack of action to the deaths of two 12-year-old girls. In 2018, it ordered the government to pay the actual cost for many child and family services. In 2019, it ordered Canada to apply Jordan's Principle to First Nations children who needed urgent help, even if they did not have official Indian Status.

Because of these orders, the federal government provided over 200,000 services to First Nations children in 2018 and 2019.

The long court case and Cindy Blackstock's role were featured in a 2016 documentary film. The film is called We Can't Make the Same Mistake Twice by Alanis Obomsawin.

Have a Heart Day

In 2012, the first "Have a Heart Day" event took place in Ottawa. Since then, it has been celebrated every February 14 in many cities. This yearly event is led by young people and is a project of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Cindy Blackstock helps lead this important day.

Awards and Recognition

Cindy Blackstock has received more than 50 awards for her work. Some of these include:

• The Atkinson Charitable Foundation's Economic Justice fellowship (2009)
• National Aboriginal Achievement Awards (2011)
• Amnesty International Person of Conscience Award (2017)
• The Janusz Korzak Medal for children's rights advocacy

She has also received 20 honorary doctorate degrees from different universities. These special degrees recognize her important contributions to society.