The Elders speak about the best interests of a Stó:lō child: family, connection and culture

dc.contributor.authorMussell, Dayna Gawi-neh
dc.contributor.supervisorWright Cardinal, Sarah
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-05T23:19:38Z
dc.date.available2024-02-05T23:19:38Z
dc.date.copyright2024en_US
dc.date.issued2024-02-05
dc.degree.departmentSchool of Child and Youth Careen_US
dc.degree.levelMaster of Arts M.A.en_US
dc.description.abstractIn response to recent legislative changes by the Government of Canada many Indigenous nations are engaged in the development of legal and practice frameworks to regulate culturally safe and equitable child and family services. To support this process there is a need to define the best interests of the child according to the nation based on cultural knowledge and traditions. Storywork, an Indigenous storied approach, is used to examine the question, “How do Stó:lō people define the “best interests of the child” based on the cultural, linguistic and governance structures of their nation?” Drawing on Indigenous literature and the history of child welfare in Canada affirms that culture is central to developing Indigenous based services. A series of sharing circle discussions with Stó:lō Elders from the Coqualeetza Cultural Education Centre and the Fraser Valley Aboriginal Children and Family Services Society were held to gather their life-experience stories. The Elders’ unique worldview and understanding of the teachings of a good Stó:lō life were central to mobilize community-based Indigenous knowledge on child-rearing in the past and present that centers the teachings of our ancestors. Thematic analysis was then used as a way to make meaning from the Elders’ life-experience stories to create new knowledge informing what is in the best interests of the Stó:lō child. As a result, a Longhouse Framework was created using four-story poles representing new stories of child well-being. These story poles include: 1) How children experience and understand shxwelí (life spirit); 2) Children learn the ways of co-reliance; 3) Families and communities care for their children; and 4) Raising children in healthy Stó:lō ways. This knowledge will be used to inform better practices for those working in the field of Indigenous child welfare and offer recommendations for communities which are moving towards self-determination in the area of child welfare.en_US
dc.description.scholarlevelGraduateen_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/15943
dc.languageEnglisheng
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.rightsAvailable to the World Wide Weben_US
dc.subjectbest interests of the childen_US
dc.subjectIndigenous child welfareen_US
dc.subjectStó:lō cultureen_US
dc.subjectIndigenous Storyworken_US
dc.subjectIndigenous storied researchen_US
dc.subjectStó:lō child well-beingen_US
dc.subjectLonghouse teachingsen_US
dc.subjectgathering Elders' storiesen_US
dc.subjectBill C-92 and self-determinationen_US
dc.titleThe Elders speak about the best interests of a Stó:lō child: family, connection and cultureen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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