The Power of Unity, The Dignity of Difference

November 21, 2025

 

Open Letter to the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services Canada Regarding State of Emergency Declaration for Matawa First Nations Children, Youth, and Families

Dear Minister Gull-Masty,

We write to you with deep urgency and grave concern. The Matawa First Nations Chiefs formally declared a State of Emergency in response to an escalating crisis affecting the safety, well-being, and survival of our children, youth, and families. This crisis has been directly caused by systemic failures within Indigenous Services Canada (ISC), including chronic funding delays, denials, and misinterpretations of eligibility under Jordan’s Principle and First Nation Representative Services (FNRS). These barriers create obstacles that are nearly impossible to overcome. Canada must act now to prevent further harm and uphold its obligations to First Nations children.

Since 2019, Matawa First Nations have worked to confront the severe overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system, the devastating impacts of colonial policies, and the continued failure of provincial and federal governments to uphold their obligations to First Nations children. Despite persistent advocacy, our children remain at disproportionately high risk of harm—risks that no child in this country should ever face.

In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action—particularly Calls 1 through 5—our Nations developed the Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin (Social Services Framework). The TRC Calls to Action must compel both levels of government to reduce the number of Indigenous children in care, ensure equitable funding for prevention services, and guarantee that children can remain safely connected to family, language, culture, and community. Canada’s ongoing failure to meet these obligations constitutes a continuation of the very colonial harms the TRC sought to address. Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin has delivered four critical pillars of service:

1. Family Transition Unit (FTU): safe, stable housing and 24/7 support for families involved in the child welfare system.
2. Family Support (FNRS): off-reserve case management, safety planning, prevention services, and cultural reconnection.
3. Post-Majority Care (Next Steps): housing, life skills, mental health supports, and wrap-around services for youth aging out of care.
4. Service Coordination: ensuring children with unmet needs receive timely and equitable support.

These programs were designed to keep families together, prevent apprehensions, and shield vulnerable youth from homelessness, exploitation, mental health deterioration, and early mortality. The programs have demonstrated success by stabilizing hundreds of families, preventing unnecessary removals, and closing thousands of child welfare files. Today, due to the federal government’s indecisiveness, these services are collapsing. Most alarmingly:

• 30 of 38 staff are being terminated effective March 31, 2026, with further layoffs under consideration.
• 82 active family support cases, 53 youth in Post-Majority Care, and four families currently housed in FTU units now face disruption or complete loss of support, as of March 31, 2026.
• Families and youth have already entered crisis—including a recent suicide attempt directly linked to the closure announcement.
• Service providers across Ontario have confirmed they cannot absorb our clients. Matawa children and families will be left with nowhere to turn.
• The impact of this crisis will be deeply felt in our First Nations as children, youth, and families will look to us to fill this gap.

These shutdowns represent serious breaches of Canada’s obligations under the TRC, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT) rulings, and the principles of substantive equality. The CHRT has repeatedly affirmed that chronic underfunding puts Indigenous children at risk of harm and death. That risk is now materializing in real time within our communities. Without immediate intervention, the consequences will be devastating and will involve:

• Increased child apprehensions.
• Youth driven into homelessness and exploitation.
• Escalating mental health crises among children and families.
• Loss of culture, identity, and community connection.
• Family collapse and community destabilization.
• A re-emergence of harms reminiscent of residential schools and the Sixties Scoop.

Minister Gull-Masty, the situation facing our Nations is not theoretical. It is unfolding now. It is urgent, and without decisive federal action, it will cost lives. Accordingly, the Matawa Chiefs hereby declare a State of Emergency and urge your immediate intervention to:

1. Restore and stabilize funding to Awashishewiigiihiwaywiin in full, specifically the Family Support (FNRS) and Post-Majority Care claims.
2. Resolve outstanding Jordan’s Principle and FNRS funding failures.
3. Establish an urgent action table with Matawa leadership to prevent further harm, and to immediately address funding gaps that extend beyond March 31, 2026.
4. Ensure long-term, sustainable funding that meets Canada’s obligations under the TRC and CHRT.
5. Implement immediate funding measures for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, and aid Matawa in our efforts to establish a long-term, sustainable funding path forward.

We stand ready to work with you, but we cannot—and will not—allow our children to be abandoned by the systems meant to protect them. The safety of our children is a sacred responsibility, and one we expect the Government of Canada to honour without delay. We request an immediate meeting to begin addressing this crisis with yourself or a senior official you can appoint. Despite our repeated requests, we have received no response other than notice of your continued unavailability.

Sincerely,
ON BEHALF OF THE MATAWA CHIEFS COUNCIL

 

Dr. Sharon L. Nate, EdD
Chief Executive Officer
Matawa First Nations Management

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