New campaign to honour survivors of the Sixties Scoop

Survivors of the '60s Scoop and their supporters gather for a demonstration at a Toronto courthouse on Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016. (THE CANADIAN PRESS / Michelle Siu)

The Southern Chiefs' Organization (SCO) is launching a new educational campaign that will honour the survivors of the Sixties Scoop.

The campaign, called ‘Stronger than the Scoop,’ is aimed at acknowledging the resilience of the survivors and raising awareness of the impact of the Sixties Scoop.

“We often talk about resilience when it comes to our peoples, and that certainly applies to those who survived the Sixties Scoop,” said SCO Chief Jerry Daniels in a news release.

“The Sixties Scoop was another dark chapter in what was an epidemic of First Nations child apprehension, starting with residential schools. We need to acknowledge the systemic harm and generational trauma that was caused and do what we can to help with healing.”

Through this new initiative, the SCO will focus its efforts on the survivors from its member nations.

This include a healing gathering for survivors later this week in Winnipeg, as well as enhanced programs and services for Sixties Scoop survivors. More information on upcoming workshops and sharing circles can be found online. 

“I call on everyone who now shares this land to learn about the Sixties Scoop, about the devastating effects it had on our peoples, and to help us ensure that we do everything we can to help those impacted, with their collective healing journey,” Daniels said.

“To our Survivors: I see you and I honour you for what you have experienced. I stand with you as you move forward on your healing journeys.”

During the Sixties Scoop, government policies were put in place that allowed child welfare employees to take First Nations children from their families for placement in foster and adoptive homes. Many of the children were adopted by non-Indigenous families.

The SCO notes that the Sixties Scoop was a government method used to take First Nation kids from their families and erase First Nations cultures and traditions.

The National Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation of Canada is funding the campaign.

Healing gathering

The SCO’s second annual healing gathering began on Thursday with more than 550 survivors in attendance.

The gathering will run for two days and will include keynote addresses, panel discussions, as well as a number of self-care activities including painting, massage therapy and medicine bag making.

The event is geared towards survivors of residential schools, day schools, the Sixties Scoop, the child welfare system, as well as those who are impacted by MMIWG2S+.