Cindy Blackstock

Cindy Blackstock is the Executive Director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) and professor at McGill University’s School of Social Work. A member of the Gitxsan First Nation, Cindy’s work and activism has surrounded the welfare and rights of Indigenous children for over 30 years. 

Most recently, Cindy has played a significant role on behalf of the FNCFCS in the landmark $40 billion agreement reached on December 31, 2021, between the Canadian government and First Nations leaders, whereby First Nations children that were harmed by Canada’s discriminatory child welfare system may be compensated. The agreement was the culmination of fifteen years of public pressure and litigation — in 2007, the Assembly of First Nations jointly with FNCFCS filed a human rights complaint against Canada. While the federal government still has much work to do to deliver on promises made, Cindy’s relentless pursuit of accountability and justice has been instrumental in holding the Canadian government responsible and calling attention to the rights of Indigenous children across the nation.