6 thoughts on “The 60s Scoop settlement and the issues behind it”
As a Sixties Scoop survivor I agree with the panelist Coleen Rajotte when she speaks about the negotiation process as I feel that the settlement lawyers should have taken more time to compile information pertaining to what it meant to be taken away from our culture, our lands, our families, our mothers.
Personally, I had been preparing and was given notice that discussions were to begin in Ontario on its class action settlement. This notice made me feel that the lawyers involved would in some way reach out to me. And so it was a surprise to learn that the Ontario specific settlement discussions were moved to a national focus and that after a few days of meeting a settlement was reached.
Like Coleen, I as well made my way through personal hardship to make it through university; working full-time and attending school full-time. I did not have any knowledge of my right to education as a Status Indian.
Unfortunately, I have had no assistance in any shape or form from the government or the CAS who brokered my adoption. It therefore was left up to me to piece together my history; to discover who I am. And so, I at great sacrifice travelled across this country as far north as the Yukon territories and as far east as Nova Scotia gathering documents that pertain to who I am. This search has taken over fifty years!
And so, sadly I don’t think people understand that it is a terribly difficult process to piece together your family history when the records are closed, files are redacted, and in my case many of the people who handled my adoption or knew of it are deceased.
I still hope someday to go home but time is running out for me. Thank you for bringing light to this issue.
To all you young people I feel so good that you made it through all the lies and abuse that adoption entails….what the government calls policy is a crime and can be addressed but it must be done without liars oops I meant to say lawyers….Lawyers give their allegiance to uphold the laws and policies for Canada and cannot properly or honestly….in conclusion this issue constitutes a crime against all our Indian people and can be addressed at the inter national level by our own Indian legal advisors and should be done so….the term genocide= Geno comes from Greek meaning Tribal and Vide comes from Latin and means killing….
it was mentioned that across Canada there were 80,000 adoptees therefore, I believe the government was negotiating on the understanding to cover the 80,000 children across Canada not only Ontario. That would mean the lawyers negotiated NOT JUST FOR ONTARIO, but for all of Canada (maybe NOT mentioning this FACT to the Government) which means they were putting all the eggs into one basket and the government believes this fact. I thought the deal was only for Ontario’s 16-24,000 adoptees. That would mean the settlement in PRINCIPLE should be $2.4 billion (NOT $800 million). FOR EACH CLAIMANT NATIONWIDE TO COLLECT $30,000 each. or $4 billion for ($50,000 ea.) to settle NATIONWIDE for 80,000 Indigenous Adoptees
Or does this mean EACH PROVINCE IS ENTITLED UP TO $800 million??
Furthermore what are OUT OF PROVINCE Lawyers doing involved on an Ontario Lawsuit. When did it Become NATIONWIDE? And Who was informed of these changes? and WHEN?
Yes Genocide happened and now the Government wants Reconcilation with Indian Residential School survivors and probably from 60’scoop survivors.How can it be possible when F—–g Genocide continues to this day in different forms against our people for their Land & Resources.More then 50,000 have been denied their compensation because the F—–g Government didn’t Believe their stories.So I hope that dosen’t happen to the 60 Scoop survivors.In the mean time why do First Nations still live in poverty on Reserves??????? What other Nationallty in the whole world is still forced to live on a RESERVE ????? When and if the hearings start that they have EDUCATED people their for all the survivors,because they didn’t out here in B.C on Vancouver Island when we were going through our IRS hearings . I’m saying this because we lost a few people when they stopped the hearings here on Vancouver Island,so I’m hoping that who ever is running this process that they learn from the IRS survivors of what happened to us .If you want to talk to me give me a call at 1-250-338-7426.I’m on Vancouver Island,B.C.
I hope that the settlement will include the correction of adoptee’s records.
Illegally removed father’s names from original birth registrations – From 1960 to 1980, the Ontario government *illegally* removed or omitted the father’s names from the original birth registration of adoptees. Many parents were *illegally* prevented from naming the father in the first place.The UN has asked both the Ontario government and Federal government to restore them. Ontario refuses and the Federal government refuses to enforce the UN request. This affects status rights.
False information about ancestry – many adoptees were told that they were not Indigenous when in fact they were. Instead, many adoptees were told that they were Italian, Dutch, etc. when that was not true. The CAS records, as well as any other records must be corrected to show a person’s true heritage.
False death records – false death records were illegally issued for people who were and still are alive. This was to stop people looking for family. Many parents were told that their child had died when this was not true and then the “dead” child was put up for adoption without consent or knowledge from parents who had done nothing wrong.
The government needs to cross reference death records with adoption records in order to find the living. Dead children cannot be adopted. False death records then need to be annulled.
2 Provinces in Canada still have closed adoption records – P.E.I. and Nova Scotia still have closed adoption records while the rest of Canada have either opened them or are in the process of doing so (Quebec has just passed legislation to open theirs). It is discrimination to deny adoptees their information simply because of where the adoption took place in the country. The Federal government must do something to force these last remaining provinces to open their records to bring them in line with the rest of the country and do what is necessary to achieve that, such a passing legislation to bring in parity across Canada with regards to equal access to records for adoptees.
Canada will be having its review at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in July. This issues will be brought up if Canada has not put these things right by then. As a Canadian NGO working with the UN on records, I will make certain of this.
How does the healing foundation plan on helping adoptees that do not live in Canada?
As a Sixties Scoop survivor I agree with the panelist Coleen Rajotte when she speaks about the negotiation process as I feel that the settlement lawyers should have taken more time to compile information pertaining to what it meant to be taken away from our culture, our lands, our families, our mothers.
Personally, I had been preparing and was given notice that discussions were to begin in Ontario on its class action settlement. This notice made me feel that the lawyers involved would in some way reach out to me. And so it was a surprise to learn that the Ontario specific settlement discussions were moved to a national focus and that after a few days of meeting a settlement was reached.
Like Coleen, I as well made my way through personal hardship to make it through university; working full-time and attending school full-time. I did not have any knowledge of my right to education as a Status Indian.
Unfortunately, I have had no assistance in any shape or form from the government or the CAS who brokered my adoption. It therefore was left up to me to piece together my history; to discover who I am. And so, I at great sacrifice travelled across this country as far north as the Yukon territories and as far east as Nova Scotia gathering documents that pertain to who I am. This search has taken over fifty years!
And so, sadly I don’t think people understand that it is a terribly difficult process to piece together your family history when the records are closed, files are redacted, and in my case many of the people who handled my adoption or knew of it are deceased.
I still hope someday to go home but time is running out for me. Thank you for bringing light to this issue.
To all you young people I feel so good that you made it through all the lies and abuse that adoption entails….what the government calls policy is a crime and can be addressed but it must be done without liars oops I meant to say lawyers….Lawyers give their allegiance to uphold the laws and policies for Canada and cannot properly or honestly….in conclusion this issue constitutes a crime against all our Indian people and can be addressed at the inter national level by our own Indian legal advisors and should be done so….the term genocide= Geno comes from Greek meaning Tribal and Vide comes from Latin and means killing….
it was mentioned that across Canada there were 80,000 adoptees therefore, I believe the government was negotiating on the understanding to cover the 80,000 children across Canada not only Ontario. That would mean the lawyers negotiated NOT JUST FOR ONTARIO, but for all of Canada (maybe NOT mentioning this FACT to the Government) which means they were putting all the eggs into one basket and the government believes this fact. I thought the deal was only for Ontario’s 16-24,000 adoptees. That would mean the settlement in PRINCIPLE should be $2.4 billion (NOT $800 million). FOR EACH CLAIMANT NATIONWIDE TO COLLECT $30,000 each. or $4 billion for ($50,000 ea.) to settle NATIONWIDE for 80,000 Indigenous Adoptees
Or does this mean EACH PROVINCE IS ENTITLED UP TO $800 million??
Furthermore what are OUT OF PROVINCE Lawyers doing involved on an Ontario Lawsuit. When did it Become NATIONWIDE? And Who was informed of these changes? and WHEN?
Yes Genocide happened and now the Government wants Reconcilation with Indian Residential School survivors and probably from 60’scoop survivors.How can it be possible when F—–g Genocide continues to this day in different forms against our people for their Land & Resources.More then 50,000 have been denied their compensation because the F—–g Government didn’t Believe their stories.So I hope that dosen’t happen to the 60 Scoop survivors.In the mean time why do First Nations still live in poverty on Reserves??????? What other Nationallty in the whole world is still forced to live on a RESERVE ????? When and if the hearings start that they have EDUCATED people their for all the survivors,because they didn’t out here in B.C on Vancouver Island when we were going through our IRS hearings . I’m saying this because we lost a few people when they stopped the hearings here on Vancouver Island,so I’m hoping that who ever is running this process that they learn from the IRS survivors of what happened to us .If you want to talk to me give me a call at 1-250-338-7426.I’m on Vancouver Island,B.C.
I hope that the settlement will include the correction of adoptee’s records.
Illegally removed father’s names from original birth registrations – From 1960 to 1980, the Ontario government *illegally* removed or omitted the father’s names from the original birth registration of adoptees. Many parents were *illegally* prevented from naming the father in the first place.The UN has asked both the Ontario government and Federal government to restore them. Ontario refuses and the Federal government refuses to enforce the UN request. This affects status rights.
False information about ancestry – many adoptees were told that they were not Indigenous when in fact they were. Instead, many adoptees were told that they were Italian, Dutch, etc. when that was not true. The CAS records, as well as any other records must be corrected to show a person’s true heritage.
False death records – false death records were illegally issued for people who were and still are alive. This was to stop people looking for family. Many parents were told that their child had died when this was not true and then the “dead” child was put up for adoption without consent or knowledge from parents who had done nothing wrong.
The government needs to cross reference death records with adoption records in order to find the living. Dead children cannot be adopted. False death records then need to be annulled.
2 Provinces in Canada still have closed adoption records – P.E.I. and Nova Scotia still have closed adoption records while the rest of Canada have either opened them or are in the process of doing so (Quebec has just passed legislation to open theirs). It is discrimination to deny adoptees their information simply because of where the adoption took place in the country. The Federal government must do something to force these last remaining provinces to open their records to bring them in line with the rest of the country and do what is necessary to achieve that, such a passing legislation to bring in parity across Canada with regards to equal access to records for adoptees.
Canada will be having its review at the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in July. This issues will be brought up if Canada has not put these things right by then. As a Canadian NGO working with the UN on records, I will make certain of this.
How does the healing foundation plan on helping adoptees that do not live in Canada?