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Abstract
This study was created with the hope of empowering Naskapi elders and community members to share their reflections and experiences with current and past social welfare policies and practices within the community of Kawawachikamach. Community members participated actively in consultation group sharing sessions where they voiced their personal distresses incurred through encounters with the child welfare system over the years. The original purpose of the study was to explore how family group conferencing and related strength based techniques could be adapted to create a culturally appropriate case planning and decision making model in the First Nations community of Kawawachikamach. However, community members' needs were overwhelming and their search for personal and community healing led to more discussion and sharing for a community vision for health instead of a reflection on the adaptation of models. Community members enjoyed being provided with this information and were hopeful for their community after seeing some adaptations which had been made in other communities. Naskapis believe that one solution is to engage families as much as possible in child welfare practices and that whenever possible solutions would be first looked at within the family and extended family and by services being fully supportive of these entities. This solution is one of several included in a set of recommendations created for the community. The study participants are eager to present these recommendations to their community as well as focus on change by following a detailed action plan created to re-evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the current child and family development services.
