The fourth Matriarchs’ Voices session was hosted in Prince George from June 27 – 28, 2024. The session is part of an ongoing series aimed at fostering dialogue with community Matriarchs to gain a deeper understanding of traditional child rearing practices and what Carrier and Sekani families need to thrive. As the keepers of sacred laws, the Matriarchs play a pivotal role in guiding jurisdiction work and are key contributors to the data being collected to inform Carrier and Sekani child and family legislation.
At the previous Matriarchs’ Voices, Matriarch Maureen Thomas closed the meeting with the business of inviting youth to join the next session. CSFS Youth Services and Jurisdiction worked to prepare youth for the day, meeting with youth beforehand to discuss child rights and hear what youth needed to feel safe and included at Matriarchs’ Voices.
During the session, the Matriarchs spoke of some of the challenges families face when it comes to keeping their children safe and the different approaches they have taken as Matriarchs to be there for youth in need.
“The way to provide a safe environment is to take them in when they’re having problems. Some kids are already having a hard time at home. They have to find somebody to talk to,” Marilyn Vickers shared. “When you need to talk to the children, you can’t go with hard truth. If you want them to survive it and you want them to trust you, you must listen to them and then gently talk to them. You listen with your heart, feel their emotions by the way they talk. You can know how they are feeling. If they’re happy, sad, you can feel it.”
Halfway through the first day, the youth were welcomed into the room and a large circle was formed to kick off the joint session with an ice breaker. Seated side-by-side, the youth and Matriarchs donned a pair of oven mitts and took on a large ball of plastic wrap filled with goodies. The ball was passed around the room and laughter and cheering quickly ensued.
With the youth settled in – and pockets full of plastic wrap prizes – the conversation moved to an overview of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Mary Teegee-Gray expanded on child rights specific to Carrier and Sekani children and spoke with the youth about what their rights look like in everyday life. Youth were then asked what rights were important to them and what they believed youth need to be raised in a good way. Here are some of the things they shared with us:
I have the right to…
On the second day of the session, the Matriarchs discussed the history of child and family services and reflected on how trauma from child removals and residential schools have and continue to impact families. After a day of heavy conversation, hearts were lifted when youth returned to join the Matriarchs for a visit to the Spirit Bear exhibit. Matriarchs walked alongside youth who took on the role of guides for the day.
Both the spoken stories from the Matriarchs and written contributions from youth who attended the session now exist as data informing the future of child and family services for member Nations. While the stories shared at Matriarchs’ Voices are often difficult, they are important pieces of the jurisdiction process; by hearing these stories, we can document the lived experiences of community members and apply this data to develop Carrier and Sekani child and family legislation that is rooted in the needs of Nations.
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