Who We Are
The First Nations Repatriation Institute (FNRI) is the first organization of its kind whose goal is to create a resource for First Nations people impacted by foster care or adoption to return home, reconnect, and reclaim their identity.
The Institute also serves as a resource to enhance the knowledge and skills of practitioners who serve First Nations people. fills a significant gap in resources available for First Nations people. There is currently no organized effort at a local, state, national or international level to address the needs of people separated from their culture by foster care or adoption.
As early as 1890, it has been documented that thousands of First Nations children were forcibly removed from their homes. Between 1941 through 1978, when the Indian Child Welfare Act passed, 25% of all First Nations children were removed from their homes, placed in orphanages and white foster homes, and adopted into white homes. These institutions and homes were often brutal which added to the trauma of early childhood separation. The time has come to heal these wounds caused by forced assimilation by establishing their sense of belonging to a spiritually wealthy family.
The First Nations Repatriation Institute provides technical assistance, education, research, and advocacy on the process of Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation for the healing and returns home of First Nations people impacted by foster care and adoption.
The Institute promotes Truth, Healing, and Reconciliation as a way to address historical trauma and disenfranchised grief caused by the forced removal of indigenous children to foster care and adoption. We support family and cultural reunification as well as community healing.