Righting Canada's Wrongs: The Sixties Scoop and the Stolen Lives of Indigenous Children

Starting in 1951, Indigenous children in Canada were taken by social welfare agencies from their families and placed in the care of non-Indigenous families. These children grew up without their birth families, cultural roots, and language. Many tried to run away and some died in the attempt. The taking of the children is known as the Sixties Scoop, though the policies and practices started before the 1960s and lasted long after. Today, Indigenous children are shockingly over-represented in the child welfare system across Canada. Indigenous communities organized and fought back for their children. In 1985, an official government report condemned the practice. In the 1990s, lawsuits were filed against the governments who had supported taking the children. In 2018 and 2019, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba apologized for their roles. In 2020, the Canadian government agreed to a settlement for survivors of the Scoop. Through hundreds of photos and primary documents, readers meet many survivors of the Scoop. They learn how Indigenous communities fought back to save their children and won, and how Indigenous communities across Canada are working towards healing today.