Métis Bear
Bear Witness to #JordansPrinciple
Métis Bear accompanies Senator Boyer on her travels, meetings and formal events with the goal of advancing reconciliation between all bears and people.
He celebrates his birthday on May 10 or “Bear Witness Day.” On that date, Canadians are encouraged to bear witness to Jordan’s Principle—named in memory of Jordan River Anderson, a First Nations child from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba—by bringing their teddy bears to daycare, school or work in order to host a “bear birthday party” and to post photos with the hashtag #JordansPrinciple.
Jordan’s Principle aims to ensure that First Nations children across Canada are given access to public health and social services in a way that is reflective of their distinct cultural needs, takes full account of the historical disadvantage linked to colonization, and without experiencing any service denials, delays or disruptions because they are First Nations.
Although the child-first principle has been widely acclaimed, there have been many gaps in its implementation. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ordered the federal government to fully implement Jordan's Principle on May 10, 2016.