By James Wastasecoot and Trevor Greyeyes
At the Nov 5, 2024 council meeting in chambers, council members paused official business to give the floor to parents and grandparents who wished to speak. Spokesperson Susan Thomas said parents, grandparents and clients of Peguis Child and Family Services have concerns about the operations and spending decisions being taken by the executive director, Clemene Hornbrook and Board of Directors of the child caring agency.
She demanded that the executive director and board of directors be dismissed immediately. “How do you justify paying a board member a thousand dollars a meeting?” she asked, referring to the Board honoraria. “That takes away the integrity, the integrity of what a board member does. She said a board member is supposed to oversee an agency. “That is not happening.” The agency has posted its financial statements of its website showing an expense for Board Honoraria and Travel for 2023-2024 in the amount of $391,441. This roughly equates to $77,000 per board member. The board of directors are: Chair, Louise Stranger, board members Winnie Bair, Irene Madison, Sharon Mann and Rhonda McPherson. Thomas said the Councillors Gyn Sinclair, Donna Sutherland and Linda Sinclair should recuse themselves from a council decision on the matter inasmuch as they are in a conflict of interest because they have family members working at the agency, a suggestion that some at the table found “insulting”.
Thomas said she’s been trying to discuss her concerns with the executive director, but all efforts have been ignored. “So, it's been over a year now that we, not just me, but many of us have been trying to find answers on Peguis child care services. We have attended meetings where she was supposed to be so we can bring this forward. I have talked to the ED personally myself, no answers.”
Peguis was the first indigenous community in Manitoba to assume jurisdiction over child welfare under federal legislation that came into effect in 2021. Under the Honouring our Children, Families and Nation Act section 5.3, the Council holds authority to pass resolutions that clarify or limit the powers, duties, or functions of the agency in ways that uphold the Best Interests of the Child. But, Thomas said, the leaders have not done anything to address growing concerns about transparency and information access at the agency. She told the council that agency is the only agency in Manitoba that has a full time lawyer on staff, who also happens to be the agency director’s husband. She said she consulted a lawyer who confirmed that this is a conflict of interest. “Well, how does she get away with it? You guys aren’t doing anything. There’s no other agency that has a lawyer on staff. Lawyers are used when necessary.”
Thomas said the legislation limits services to children who are band members. The Annual Report describes “A Collaborative Transfer Process” under which children who are not band members are transferred out. The paragraph reads: “The transfer experience for each Child, Youth and Family was relatively seamless with no disruption in services. Each Member Child, Youth, and Family (and caregiver was provided with a welcome letter; each non-Member Child, Youth and Family was provided with a farewell letter which explained the reason for transfer and background information about The Act.” In 2023 and 2024, 199 Non-members were transferred out and 78 were transferred in. The report notes that as a result of the agency’s work, the number of children in care has drastically decreased, but how much of this is attributable to non-band member children being transferred out is not known.
Parents say that this is a regressive step that contradicts the Act’s emphasis on restoring children to their families. “Why are we going back 100 years?” she asked the council. The interpretation of the Act by the executive director of Peguis CFS, which excludes non-member children from receiving services, appears to be consistent with the definitions and objectives set out in the Act. Services under the Act are directed specifically towards members or those eligible for membership, and this jurisdiction is tied to Peguis First Nation's governance rights over its own members. Other first nations are pointing to Peguis and saying: “Don’t do what Peguis has done,” said Thomas. She added: “Don’t just turn a blind eye. Don't pretend this isn't happening, because it is. You're going to have another Sandy Bay, Richard Delaronde situation on your hands. And if you don't know who that is, look it up.”
Despite the outcry over transparency, it hasn’t gone unnoticed that Peguis CFS is on an expansion drive of assets and staff since the agency signed a Coordination Agreement and funding arrangements which flowed combined revenues of over $190 million to the agency in 2024. Thomas says the agency has failed to give priority to family support, prevention and child care noting that Peguis still does not have a food bank or a women’s shelter – and instead has been spending millions on assets and staff. Among the assets being purchased are 20 housing units being built at the Fisher Branch Country Side Lumber business. Elder Bruce Sinclair asked council why hire builders from outside of Peguis. “All those houses up there that come out there, not one of our guys worked at it. So that's not child and family. That's not their money. They don't care for you.” The Annual report posted at the Agency website describes a number of capital projects but the 20 unit housing project is not included and the agency has not disclosed any plans for housing families or how they would be selected.
Peguis CFS held its annual general meeting on Sept 19, 2024 at the former Shergold farm now “Maamawibiway” across from the reserve, east of Hodgson, a location that some elders avoid going to because meetings there are predominated by families of those employed at the agency, and they don’t feel welcome, according to elder who spoke. At the meeting, the audited financial statements for the years 2023 and 2024 and Annual Report were distributed. There is no mention of the 20 units in either of the documents. Terra Indigena attended the AGM and secured an agreement from the director to meet the following week to address questions on the audits and annual report. Since then, neither the executive director or board chair has returned our calls or messages. Kirk Mann, communications director did send email inviting us to send our questions which he would “clarify.” Terra Indigena replied that we would prefer the director honour her commitment to meet. In the meantime, Terra Indigena requested a copy of the agency board policy manual, the Coordination Agreement and funding arrangements. Nothing has been received. .
Thomas handed documents to the council reminding them that “But as leadership, you guys are liable for what happens.” She said: “have you guys read these? You guys really need to read these numbers, you need to read what’s going on and you need to do something.”
Chief Stan Bird said that the council would have a discussion on the matter and prepare a report to the parents and grandparents group.
The Annual Report states that the agency is currently under review, by an “internal reviewer”. Leona Huntinghawk, who holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Manitoba is conducting the review called the “White Buffalo Report” which will take place over the next three years, according the agency. At the AGM, HUntinghawk said: “I will be looking at the good stuff and I will also look at the ‘room for growth’. She added: “I hope to be able to rely on community folks and hope they will get in contact with me. What do you think that CFS can do better? Your insight is going to be absolutely invaluable. The most important voices are going to be the community members themselves.” Huntinghawk’s contact information is listed in the Report: Tel. 431293-8478 or 204 979-0705.
Neither the executive director or the chair of the Board of Directors returned calls and messages from Terrra Indigena in regards to this story.