Legacy of Hope Foundation Applauds the Saskatchewan Government’s Apology to Survivors for it’s part in the Sixties Scoop
(Ottawa, ON) January 11, 2019 – The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) was heartened to hear that Premier Scott Moe made a formal apology to Survivors of the Sixties Scoop in Saskatchewan earlier this week.
“January 7, 2019 will go down in history as the Premier has issued an Apology to all the Survivors of the Sixties Scoop in Saskatchewan. The Apology is long overdue and is only the first step in moving Reconciliation forward for all the Indigenous Peoples in Saskatchewan, and across Turtle Island,” said Adam North Peigan, Board Member of the LHF and President of the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta.
Between the early 1950s to the late 1980s, thousands of Indigenous children were “scooped up” and taken away by the State from their families and communities and placed into foster or adoptive non-Indigenous homes, usually far away from all of their relatives. This practice which is commonly referred to as the “Sixties Scoop” resulted in the loss of Indigenous culture, history, identity, language, and for many led to loneliness, low self-worth, lack of identity, mental health issues, addictions, suicide, homelessness, incarceration and poor health outcomes.
“Although an Apology is symbolic and may often be required by law as part of a Settlement Agreement, my hope is that it will lead to positive commitments and concrete actions that do make a difference in the lives of those impacted,” said Teresa Edwards, Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel at the LHF.
She continued, “The Millennium Scoop is a term used to describe the many children who continue to be apprehended by the Child Welfare System for reasons linked to poverty, racism and the imposition of another’s values on Indigenous Peoples. Governments need to ensure that we have learned from past mistakes and that we work together to prevent future crises from happening.”
The LHF applauds the efforts made today by the Saskatchewan Government in righting the wrongs and in demonstrating their commitment to Reconciliation moving forward and hopes others governments will follow in their footsteps.
About the Legacy of Hope Foundation:
The Legacy of Hope Foundation (LHF) is a national Indigenous charitable organization whose purposes are to educate, raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of Residential Schools, including the Sixties Scoop and the intergenerational harms caused to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples, and to support the ongoing healing process of Survivors. Fulfilling this mandate contributes towards Reconciliation among generations of Indigenous Peoples, and non-Indigenous people in Canada.
Media Contact Information:
Teresa Edwards
Executive Director and In-House Legal Counsel
Legacy of Hope Foundation
Phone: 613-237-4806 Ext. 303
info@legacyofhope.ca