Child Welfare – The Sixties Scoop

Although the last residential school closed in 1996, the government began phasing them out in the 1950s and 1960s. During this time, however, a disproportionate number of Indigenous children were apprehended by child welfare. First Nations, Métis, and Inuit children were being scooped out of their homes and fostered and adopted by white families. The Sixties Scoop is the name used to refer to this time (a term coined by Patrick Johnson in a 1983 report on Indigenous child welfare). Many Sixties Scoop Survivors reported similar experiences to that of residential school Survivors — a loss of language and cultural connection, experiences with abuse and, of course, a childhood deprived of their family and community.

To read more about the Sixties Scoop, see:

Sixties Scoop (Canadian Encyclopedia)

Sixties Scoop (Indigenous Foundations UBC)

For documentaries about the Sixties Scoop, see:

APTN Investigates: Adopt an Indian (23:51)

National Film Board: Birth of a Family (1:19:22)

When those affected by the Sixties Scoop filed a class action lawsuit against the Federal Government, several provinces issued official apologies for this practice. Compensation (through the Sixties Scoop Settlement) is being paid out to people impacted who are First Nations and Inuit, and a 60s Scoop Healing Foundation has been formed. A settlement for Métis and Non-Status Indians is still in process. See: Sixties Scoop Métis and Non-Status Indian Class Action.