Gitanmaax members stop child from being taken from community by social workers

A group of Gitxsan matriarchs, hereditary chiefs, elected chiefs and community members blocked B.C. social workers from apprehending one of their children Saturday.

"We knew what we were doing was right and we weren't going to back down," said Tracey Woods, the elected chief of the Gitanmaax Band, about 350 kilometres northwest of Prince George, B.C.  

"We weren't going to permit [B.C.'s Ministry of Child and Family Development] social workers to remove this [child]," and put them on a flight to Ontario, she said.

Woods said people from the Gitxsan Nation were notified Saturday night that a scheduled apprehension by the ministry was about to take place. 

The group gathered outside of the home where the child, who they say is six years old, was staying and stopped social workers from apprehending them.

"As a council, we have made reference to this being no different than the residential school or the Sixties Scoop, where the MCFD comes in and removes the child from family and relocates them to unfamiliar territory," said Woods.

Woods, who is a mother and grandmother, has been the chief of the Gitanmaax band for four years.

She said the Gitxsan are a matrilineal society and that the child's mother is a member of the Gitanmaax band.

"It's . . . about keeping our children from being taken from our communities, from our families," said Woods.

"We asserted our authority and jurisdiction with the band council on our reserve land," said Woods. 

In an emailed response to CBC News, the MCFD wrote it was unable to comment on matters involving specific children, but they "recognize the importance of keeping a child connected to their family, including siblings and extended family, and to their First Nations, Métis or Inuit communities."

Woods said the child is safe and that it's important for children to stay in their community so they can learn their culture and languages.

"[They've] had a chance to reconnect with [their] maternal family. [They've] had an opportunity to make some new friends. There's been huge support from the community for this little [child]," she said.

The incident on Saturday was a co-ordinated effort between elected band leaders and Gitxsan house groups, hereditary chiefs and matriarchs.