A Discussion Paper on Indigenous Custom Adoption Part 1: Severed Connections - Historical Overview of Indigenous Adoption in Canada

  • Lara di Tomasso
  • Sandrina de Finney School of Child and Youth Care University of Victoria

Abstract

This paper forms Part 1 of a two-part discussion paper on Indigenous custom adoption. Zeroing in on the entangled histories of adoption and colonization, it outlines a short history of adoption in Canada, examines the impact of forced, closed, and external adoptions on Indigenous adoptees, and traces the move toward more open statutory adoptions and greater cultural connection and continuity in adoptions. This historical review sets the stage for Part 2 of our discussion paper, “Honouring Our Caretaking Traditions,” where we highlight the connections between customary laws regarding caregiving and the resurgence of Indigenous authority over child welfare within a context of Indigenous self-determination and self-governance.

 

Author Biography

Sandrina de Finney, School of Child and Youth Care University of Victoria
Associate Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care, University of Victoria, and Research Advisor for the Siem Smun'eem Indigenous Child Wellbeing Network
Published
2015-02-26
How to Cite
di Tomasso, L., & de Finney, S. (2015). A Discussion Paper on Indigenous Custom Adoption Part 1: Severed Connections - Historical Overview of Indigenous Adoption in Canada. First Peoples Child & Family Review, 10(1), 7-18. Retrieved from https://fpcfr.com/index.php/FPCFR/article/view/247