Cindy Blackstock with Spirit Bear Cindy Blackstock will discuss the Spirit Bear plan to end inequality for First Nations children in an online lecture Oct. 21.

Call for equality for First Nations services focus of presentation

First Nations children and families living on reserve and in the territories receive public services funded by the federal government. Since Confederation, these services have fallen significantly short of what other Canadians receive.

A free public presentation Wednesday, Oct. 21, will describe how a growing movement of children is aiming to change that.

Cindy Blackstock, a professor of social work at McGill University and a member of the Gitxsan First Nation, will deliver “Spirit Bear’s plan to end inequality for First Nations children” over Microsoft Teams today at 10 a.m.

Blackstock is executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada and employs the Spirit Bear as a mascot to engage children in meaningful action to implement the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

The event is held in celebration of Persons Day, commemorating the historic 1929 decision to include women in the legal definition of “persons.” Find more information, including the link to the live event, on the website of Women’s and Gender Studies.