Aboriginal Child Welfare Self-government And The Rights Of Indigenous Children

This volume addresses the contentious and topical issue of aboriginal self-government over child welfare. Using case studies from Australia and Canada, it discusses aboriginal child welfare in historical and comparative perspectives and critically examines recent legal reforms and changes in the design, management and delivery of child welfare services aimed at securing the 'decolonization' of aboriginal children and families. Within this context, the author identifies the limitations of reconciling the conflicting demands of self-determination and sovereignty and suggests that international law can provide more nuanced and culturally sensitive solutions. Referring to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is argued that the effective decolonization of aboriginal child welfare requires a journey well beyond the single issue of child welfare to the heart of the debate over self-government, self-determination and sovereignty in both national and international law. Review: 'This is the best book on Aboriginal child welfare law that I have ever read. Professor Harris-Short has produced a book that immediately places her at the top of this field. Written with insight, care and sound judgment, this book explains why Aboriginal peoples have encountered so many problems in raising their children in Canada and Australia, and it proposes innovative yet realistic solutions to addressing legal challenges that continue to plague us today.' John Borrows, University of Minnesota Law School, USA 'This impressive book provides an incisive comparative account of the approaches adopted in Australia and Canada in order to identify and analyse the key elements that should be included in an effective municipal legal framework dedicated to the protection of vulnerable aboriginal children. The author has made a valuable contribution to scholarship not only in relation to specific municipal legal developments concerning the protection of vulnerable aboriginal children but also regarding the way that international law can mediate between States and challenged sub-State societal groups for the benefit of affected communities and individuals alike.' Stephen Allen, Queen Mary, University of London, UK '... provides a highly readable and well-informed analysis of state interventions and the consequences to indigenous children and groups. The detailed account of the Canadian and Australian government's treatment of indigenous children poignantly points out the barriers faced by indigenous groups.' British Yearbook of International Law 'This scholarly work in law and history provides a thoroughgoing account of Aboriginal child welfare policies and practices in Australia and Canada. Importantly, Harris-Short links the debates around child welfare to issues of sovereignty, decolonisation and self-government.' Aboriginal History