Federal minister confronted by Innu leaders, promises changes for Indigenous foster care

Carolyn Bennett placeda hand onSimeon Tshakapesh'sshoulder, looked him in his crying face and tried to console the grieving father.

Just five weeks removed from the suicide death of his 16-year-old son, Tshakapeshmade the trip from NatuashishtoToronto,confronting the federal minister of Indigenous Affairs at a Canada Day event.

• Indigenous protesters confront Carolyn Bennett at Canada Day picnic

He showed her a photo of his son, Thunderheart taken fromNatuashishat the age of 14 and placedin the care of social services in Newfoundland.

"This is unacceptable that your children are being taken from you," Bennett told him.

"Change it! Change it!" Tshakapesh shouted back.

"We are going to change it," she said. "It is unacceptable."

Innu leaders among Indigenous protestors

Bennett came face-to-face with protestors from all over Canada on Saturday, as they converged on a public picnic she hosted at the Spadina Museum.

Joining Tshakapesh was Innu Grand Chief Anastasia Qupee, who stood alongside him during their conversation with Bennett.

"The government talks about the future," Qupee said."How the future's really important for Canada, for the Aboriginal people. But this is not the future we see, this is not the future we want for our children."

In March, CBC News reported 265 children in Labrador were living in foster care.

• The numbers tell a sobering story about Labrador's uprooted foster children
• Uprooted: Labrador's children in foster care

Natuashish has a total population of 936 residents, with 60 children living in care.

Sheshatshiu, a community of 671 people, has 90 children in care.

Many of those kids live far away from the community, with large populations of Indigenous youth living on the Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland more than 600kilometres from Natuashish.

"Young mothers have given birth and had their babies taken away," Qupee said.

"It's unacceptable, grand chief," Bennett responded.

"We're not guinea pigs. We are not guinea pigs for anybody, not even government."

'Too many people like your son'

ThunderheartTshakapesh returned to Natuashisha different person, his father said.

When he was 16, he was no longer under the watch of the former Child, Youth and Family Services now the Department of Children, Seniors and Social Development.

Tshakapesh blames antidepressants, among other things, which he says were prescribed to Thunderheartwithout parental consent.

Thunderheartended up with the same fate as two of his cousins, Tshakapesh said.

In 2015, 17-year-old James Poker was found dead on the ice near Natuashish. He had spent six years living in foster care in Ontario before returning home. His father told reporters at the time that his son suffered mental health issues, and may have walked out to his death.

In May 2016,Kirby Mistenapeowas founddead 11 kilometres from Natuashish. He was 17 years old.

On Saturday, Bennett answered Tshakapesh's pleas with a promise.

"We will change the system.There's too many people like your son. It's not OK."