Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2003. / Supervisors: Cynthia Buckley and Thomas Pullum. Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

Thesis--Brandeis University. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Bryn Mawr College. / Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--University of California, Berkeley. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Chicago, Department of Education. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis--Universidad de Zaragoza. / Includes bibliographical references.

No description available.

The purpose of this study has been to explore the experience of parents who were part of the Aboriginal Justice Inquiry–Child Welfare Initiative (AJI-CWI). This restructuring of the child welfare system in Manitoba was the first of its kind in Canada. To date, no research has been done which explores the clients’ experience of this restructuring. This research was done using an Indigenous perspective and a qualitative and quantitative methodology and case study. Three themes were identified and discussed: Love, Trust, and Trauma. The research findings suggest that the AJI-CWI was an important and necessary change to the child welfare system for Aboriginal people in Manitoba. However, systemic issues which have been in existence since before the restructuring occurred, continue to affect the way in which child welfare services are delivered. Recommendations for child welfare practitioners, future research, policy, and education are discussed.

This research study considers the experiences of nine Aboriginal child welfare workers who worked in five remote communities. The purpose was to describe some of their child welfare practices. This qualitative study included the oral tradition and story telling techniques of the Indigenous paradigm. The study explored three general areas of interest: residence and employment in ones' community of origin, the availability of resources and supports for child welfare practice, and knowledge and application of traditional Aboriginal cultural methods. These areas were explored in work done within the children in care, child protection and family services programs in child welfare. All the workers used both conventional and non-conventional methods of child welfare practice in their respective communities. Child welfare is a difficult practice under any circumstance, and this study indicates that workers often tackle complex issues with very few resources or supports. Child placement is a growing concern and the lack of culturally appropriate services results in Aboriginal children experiencing a disconnection not only from their family, but also from the community and culture of their birth. Traditional Ojibway culture was known to many of the participants. Although there were exceptions, the application of cultural practices was most often limited to working with the extended family and private arrangement placements. This exploratory study raises some implications regarding the following: Child welfare may be responsible for the transmission of cultural knowledge to children in care. Should Aboriginal agencies provide tutorials on colonization as part of the intervention with families? These are issues that require further research.

In recent literature, it has been stated that Native children adopted into non-Native homes do not fare well emotionally or culturally. But to place ourselves in another era; the decades of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, where the child welfare systems were overrun with Native children needing to be placed in long term homes, begs us to examine the systemic and political structures at play. Also, to examine the homes that these children were placed in and embrace a different perspective: the stories of the non-Native adoptive parents. This research study delves into the adoption experiences of eight non-Native adoptive parents and empirically examines their stories, resulting in many significant similarities and common themes with the main one being, the situation that these families found themselves in at times was not ideal but they transcended adversity to the best degree they could. Native children are no longer adopted out to non-Native families at the high rate that they once were. The political atmosphere of today differs significantly from the era that became known as the "Sixties Scoop". However, this study may contribute to the body of literature surrounding Native/non-Native adoption and could impact long term fostering policy and practice if the data were to be extrapolated into today's context.