Former BC Representative for Children and Youth and current inaugural Director of UBC's Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond was warmly welcomed on to Nisg̱a’a Lands by the NLG Executive November 21st. 

Turpel-Lafond responded to a long-standing invitation of the Executive to provide a presentation on child welfare legislation, based on her expertise and many years of service as a renowned child and youth advocate.

As a lawyer and provincial judge, Turpel-Lafond has been involved in projects relating to improving supports for Indigenous peoples, especially in addressing the unique circumstances and needs of children and youth involved in the justice system. More recently, Turpel-Lafond has represented Canada in work with the United Nations to advance child welfare change and issues of concern to Indigenous peoples.

Turpel-Lafond provided the Executive an overview of child welfare initiatives both provincially and federally and also provided her opinion in respect of the potential for the Nisg̱a’a Nation to enact child welfare legislation pursuant to the Nisg̱a’a Final Agreement.