Family Camp

I am hoping to plan an adoption family camp for families who have adopted children of First Nations/Metis ancestry. This camp will take place this winter sometime, likely on Quadra Island at a camp there. If anyone is interested in helping with any aspect of this camp I'd love to hear from you. I have no additional funds to help create a cultural component, but that's what would be great to create. So if anyone has suggestions I'd love to hear them.

multi-ethnic gathering

This Sunday (May 2nd) all multi-ethnic families are invited to a get together in Port Alberni hosted by Jeff and Jennifer Dudenhofer.
It's from 3:00 to 5:00 at the Glenwood centre and you need to bring along a snack to share, helmets for those who want to be active as well as bikes, roller blades, skate boards or whatever you and/or your kids would like to use in the centre.
If you'd like to come please rsvp to Jennifer at jdudenhofer@shaw.ca and she can give you more information.

family event this spring....

I would like to organize some kind of family event this spring for families who have adopted children of First Nations/Metis ancestry and who live here on Vancouver Island. This event could be in Victoria or somewhere in the central or north Island area. Anyone who'd like to help organize, or has suggestions for an activity, place etc please let me know. I can be reached by email at cgilbert@bcadoption.com
thanks

books

I was at a conference this week-end and there was a book stand full of First Nations/Aborginal reading resources. Their website is www.corelearningresources.com and Terri Mack is the Vancouver Island Representative. Her email is terrimack@shaw.ca and she is located in Nanaimo.
They have a great list of books for First Nations children. I would recommend checking out the great list they have and ordering some for your children.

Transracial Parenting Workshops come to Nanaimo

NANAIMO
Transracial Parenting Workshops

Workshop ONE



Saturday, Jan. 30th 2009
10am – 3:30 pm

Bowen Park Complex

Games Room 1
Nanaimo, BC



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Workshop ONE:



~Motivation to Adopt Transracially
~Family Identity / Family Stories
~ Celebrating Family Diversity ~Talking to Your Kids:
Ages and Stages
~ Being Your Child's Best Ally.



Register at: www.trp1nanaimo.eventbrite.com

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Workshop TWO



Saturday, Feb 27th 2009
10am – 3:30pm
Bowen Park Complex
Games Room 1
Nanaimo, BC
Workshop TWO:



~Frame of Reference
~Stereotypes
~Your Child’s Positive Racial Identity
~Dealing with Racism
~School Issues




Register at: www.trp2nanaimo.eventbrite.com

times have changed

When my two sons of First Nations ancestry were adopted there were no culture plans as there are now. With both of them, there was a discussion of the fact that they had a different heritage, and that we should work at ways to include this in our parenting and our lives. Their Aboriginal community sent a letter saying that they couldn't offer anything in terms of resources, but that they did support the adoptions. Things are different now. Not just in regards to culture plans, but in all adoptions done in our province. When we first applied to adopt there was no "Adoption Education Program" as there is today. Most learning accomplished by adoptive parents was done on their own time, and was self directed. Whether your child was a newborn, or was 12, you received essentially the same preparation, and this also applied whether your child was caucasion, First Nations or had any other ancestry.
It's good that times have changed.
I have learned a lot in the time I've been parenting. Like lots of parents, some days I wish I could go back and do it again knowing what I know now. But I can't. We can all learn from the mistakes of the past. Having the requirement to have a culture plan for children joining a family with a different heritage is a good thing.

Culture Plans Part 1

Culture plans are created for children of Aboriginal ancestry placed for adoption to ensure that the child's cultural identity is preserved. A sample Culture Plan can be found in the Practice Standards for Adoption which can be viewed (or printed) from the MCFD website. Culture plans involve the child's Aboriginal community, and the adoptive parents in developing a way in which this will happen. The culture plan may include information about the Aboriginal community and it's: traditional foods, language, cultural ceremonies, family memberships and genealogy and teachings.
The adoptive family must be willing to partner with the Aboriginal community and commit to following through on whatever has been agreed upon will be the best ways to preserve the child's cultural identity. This may include spending time in the child's community, having contact with Elders or others, and learning as much as they can about the child's cultural identity and ancestry.
There are a range of ways that this can be accomplished. A variety of factors may impact on the planning and implementation such as safety issues and geographic location of the Aboriginal community.
Bottom line is that the culture plan is a very important piece of the child's life. It is a document that threads them to their past, and to their future. Their ancestry is part of who they are. They need to know where they came from. If a child has never had that connection, then there is no time like the present to build it. If they've already had it, then it must be maintained and grown.