Our People of the South Island First Nations have never relinquished our inherent jurisdiction and responsibility for our Children and Families.
We have our own laws and traditional ways of caring for our Children.
Who Is SIIA?
SIIA is a planning organization supporting the south island’s journey to regain jusrisdiction over child and family services
The Act respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families allows our communities to control and govern our child and family services, and to create our own Indigenous law to replace the current law created by the government of British Columbia. SIIA is working to develop our own Indigenous Child and Family law and to design a way of delivering services that are grounded in the values, traditions, and cultures of the South Island. We are doing research and talking to people in our communities, making sure the law and our services are based on our own culture and needs. This work will create a better path forward for this generation, and for future generations. The new law will allow our communities to develop a child and family services system that is governed by our people, for our people.
Paddling Together for Jurisdiction
As of December 2024, SIIA is pleased to share a final draft of our Law with the public. This revision incorporates many years of community engagement. It also incorporates the valuable feedback and suggestions we gathered during community engagement sessions since the initial release of our first draft of the Law in February of 2024, and second draft in August of the same year.
Our draft Law is grounded in the traditional and current practices of the South Island communities in caring for their children and families. The most recent version of the Law remains in draft form, and we welcome continued community input in the coming months.
In January, SIIA will release a new Technical Report that will be published detailing the ways in which this new Law will impact our community members' lives.
Paddling Together for Jurisdiction Overview
September 2023
Legislation Overview
February 2024
Paddling Together - A Community Technical Document
Final Draft SIIA Law 7.2
December 2024
Aunties Gathering 2022
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