Standoff saw a celebration of family and culture on June 23, 2026, as Kainaiwa Children’s Services Corporation marked three decades of working to keep Blood Tribe children connected to their community. The 30th anniversary event at Red Crow Park brought together community members, Elders, staff, and partners to reflect on the organization’s growth and its deep roots in traditional values.
“It’s extremely important to try and keep children on the reserve either with their natural families, or in kinship care,” said Kainaiwa Children’s Services Corporation Chief Executive Officer Shannon L. Soop. The organization has grown from a small prevention and support program into the largest child and family services provider in Alberta. It now runs Blood Tribe Child Protection Services, the Youth Wellness Center, Youth Ranch, Women’s Wellness Lodge, Safe Home and Assessment Center, and the Family Resource Center.
All of that work is guided by Kainaysinni, the traditional laws and values declared by Blood Tribe Elders. That foundation was visible during the anniversary celebration, when honour songs were performed for two families reunited from the foster care system. The organization also received a tipi in a ceremonial transfer, grounding the milestone in the community’s cultural practices.
Soop pointed to the long-term effort needed to address harm caused by outside systems. “A lot of our people are utilizing the education and combatting the opioid crisis and the different traumas that are out there,” Soop said. “It’s gonna take generations to fix the damage the government systems have done to us.” Ten years ago, in 2016, the organization had 79 full-time employees and served an average of 500 families each year, a figure that has grown substantially since.
Looking ahead, the organization is developing the Blood Tribe Family Preservation Code, a proposed child services law rooted in Kainaiysinni. The code responds to federal Bill C-92, which gives First Nations the right to create their own child and family services legislation. It represents the next phase in the community’s decades-long push to make all decisions about its children according to their own traditions.
