Chief wants programs to help children break free

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The Saskatchewan First Nations' Women's Council (SFNWC) favors a "carrot-and-stick" approach to the problem of child sex exploitation.

The "carrot" should be better-targeted and more extensive programs to help children and families get out of the child sex trade, said the SFNWC's chair, Okanese First Nation Chief Mary-Anne Daywalker -Pelletier. The "stick" should be tougher laws against those charged with hiring child prostitutes.

"We are suggesting that there should be stiffer penalties for the men who buy sex from children," said Chief Daywalker-Pelletier. Those stiffer penalties should include jail, impounding vehicles, and heavy fines.

"For the most part it has been middle-aged white males who have been the ones buying sex from children - mostly Aboriginal children - in this province, and that's a disgrace to our society, and we need to stop that," she added.

"If they are involved with an under-aged child, they should be charged with sexual assault. Any person who did that in other communities would get charged with that. Why wouldn't they get charged with soliciting a prostitute and merely get a slap on the wrist?"

Chief Daywalker-Pelletier made her statements just after a special legislative committee tabled its report on child exploitation and the sex trade in Saskatchewan in late June.

The Special Committee to Prevent the Abuse and Exploitation of Children Through the Sex Trade held hearings throughout the province last November. One hearing was held at the Treaty 4 Governance Centre in Fort Qu-Appelle.

During those hearings, speakers from First Nations and social welfare groups said Saskatchewan's child welfare programs were breaking down. Social workers and counsellors treating youth at risk were overworked, while children who are involved in the sex trade often fall through the cracks of different jurisdictions, different cultures, and different social agencies.

The committee said as many as 300 child prostitutes work the streets of Regina. A similar number are on the "strolls" of Saskatoon. Ninety per cent of those children are of Aboriginal ancestry. And many of those children come from the reserves.

Often in Saskatchewan, many of the children have drug or alcohol problems, or come from families who have drug or alcohol problems. The sex trade is often their way of raising money to feed their habits, or the habits of a family member.

During the hearings in Fort Qu'Appelle, representatives from many First Nations welfare groups said one reason those children and families couldn't get treatment is the overlapping jurisdictions between the provincial and federal governments. If First Nations people live off-reserve, the federal government won't pay for treatment programs.

But while tribal councils want treatment centres for youth and families on their reserves, the provincial government won't pay the cost of children entering those programs on the reserve.

Having First Nations organizations running such treatment facilities is the best way to break that jurisdictional deadlock, said Chief Daywalker-Pelletier.

"It's very important that First Nations people take the lead role in designing and programming for the treatment of our youth," she said.

One such plan calls for a "safe shelter" where child prostitutes could be taken for 24 hours. In that time they would be assessed and evaluated.

"If they're on alcohol or drugs, they will undergo detoxification. Counsellors will be assigned and we will have them in a 'safe home' for 30 days to deal with those issues."

In addition, Chief Day-walker-Pelletier called for a long-term care program "so we can work with and start building the child and the family. Hopefully working with the family we can break the cycle of child abuse and create a real support system."

In many ways children who leave the reserves for the cities are "lost children", she added.

"In our communities, we rely on our Elders. We are a closely connected community. In the larger cties, they have no place to turn to. If we had a culturally-designed program for First Nations people we would have better results in treatment."

Of Saskatchewan's 73 First Nations, female chiefs lead eight. As well, 101 women sit on band councils.

"We felt the need to create this group (the SFNWC) in order to enhance women's and children's issues," she said.

"We should be at the forefront in designing and implementing programming to stop child sex exploitation."