Grandmother says baby denied welfare benefits because of race
Last Updated: Saturday, November 6, 2010 | 12:58 PM AT
CBC News
Lori Phillips began taking full-time care of her grandson after his mother moved away. (CBC)
A white woman living on a small First Nations reserve in Nova Scotia says her daughter and grandson have been denied welfare payments because of their race — a charge the band chief denies.
Lori Phillips's daughter, Hayley Cogswell, gave birth to Cayden on the Annapolis Valley First Nation reserve in May, but the band turned the 18-year-old down when she applied for welfare.
Phillips's daughter subsequently moved away, leaving the baby's grandmother to raise him and fight for about $2,000 owed in welfare payments.
The federal Indian and Northern Affairs Department has told the Annapolis Valley First Nation to pay welfare to the teenage mother, but the band is refusing. The reserve has a population of about 230.
"I am fighting for what Indian Affairs has said that we're entitled to," said Phillips. "They're trying to force racism on a newborn baby. It's white this, white that."
Lori Phillips and her two children moved to the reserve 14 years ago to live with a First Nations man Lori eventually married. Living on the reserve means the family is entitled to benefits from the band and a judgment from Indian and Northern Affairs ordered the band to pay.
Funding problem
Chief Brian Toney said the band can't afford to pay. "I'm not funded for that person. If I give her social assistance, then I have to give everybody that comes into here social assistance," he said.
He argued the problem lies with Indian Affairs' funding arrangement.
"I'm not funded for these here people, even though the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs says that I've got to pay. Reimburse me. That's what I'm saying. Reimburse me for the people that you're sending in here to collect social assistance for, reimburse me that money and I'll give it to them," he said.
"There is no form of racism whatsoever."
Phillips has also been barred from all public buildings on the reserve, including the gas station, health care centre and daycare. "They think they can play God up here," Phillips said.
Toney said the ban was due to staff complaints of being harassed by Phillips.
"My understanding is that she was coming into the establishment, causing a big disturbance," he said. "Once you get banned from one, you get banned from them all. That's our policy here."
Phillips denied harassing anyone and said the $2,000 would make a big difference in the household.
"It means ... all the money I've had to dish out right now to make sure he has everything, that I could pay my power bill. That I could buy him a safe crib. I can make sure I have a phone in case of an emergency, [all of which] I'm about to lose because I had to make sure he was looked after and that my family was fed," she said.
Indian and Northern Affairs has advised Phillips to file a human rights complaint. The department cannot force the band to pay, but it could take control of the band's finances if it was determined to be breaking its funding agreement.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2010/11/06/ns-welfare-racism-complaint.html#ixzz14XjPZ000
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