Sixties Scoop
Encyclopedia
The term Sixties Scoop was coined by Patrick Johnston in his 1983 report Native Children and the Child Welfare System. It refers to the Canadian practice, beginning in the 1960s and continuing until the late 1980s, of apprehending unusually high numbers of children of Aboriginal peoples in Canada
and fostering or adopting them out, usually into white families..
Reder (2007) reports that the adult adoptees who were the subjects of this program have eloquently spoken out about their losses: loss of their cultural identity, lost contact with their natural families, barred access from medical histories, and for status Indian children the loss of their status
An estimated 20,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families and fostered or adopted out to primary white middle-class families ,
This government policy was discontinued in the mid-’80s, after Ontario chiefs passed resolutions against it and a Manitoba judicial inquiry harshly condemned it. This judicial inquiry was headed by Justice Edwin Kimelman
, who published the File Review Report. Report of the Review Committee on Indian and Métis Adoptions and Placements (also known as the Kimelman Report
).
Two lawsuits have been filed in Canada by survivors of the Sixties Scoop, one in Ontario in 2010 and one in British Columbia in 2011.
, were removed from their families and placed into internment camps, orphanages and other institutions. A similar term, Baby Scoop Era
refers to the period in United States history starting after the end of World War II
and ending in 1972, characterized by an increased rate of pre-marital pregnancies over the preceding period, along with a higher rate of forced adoption
.
Aboriginal peoples in Canada
Aboriginal peoples in Canada comprise the First Nations, Inuit and Métis. The descriptors "Indian" and "Eskimo" have fallen into disuse in Canada and are commonly considered pejorative....
and fostering or adopting them out, usually into white families..
Reder (2007) reports that the adult adoptees who were the subjects of this program have eloquently spoken out about their losses: loss of their cultural identity, lost contact with their natural families, barred access from medical histories, and for status Indian children the loss of their status
An estimated 20,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families and fostered or adopted out to primary white middle-class families ,
This government policy was discontinued in the mid-’80s, after Ontario chiefs passed resolutions against it and a Manitoba judicial inquiry harshly condemned it. This judicial inquiry was headed by Justice Edwin Kimelman
Edwin Kimelman
Edwin Charles Kimelman served as a judge of the Provincial Court of Manitoba and authored a significant public report on child protection for aboriginal peoples.-Career:...
, who published the File Review Report. Report of the Review Committee on Indian and Métis Adoptions and Placements (also known as the Kimelman Report
Kimelman Report
The Kimelman Report had a substantial and lasting impact on aboriginal child protection in Canada that was part of a fundamental shift in international child protection paradigms for aboriginal peoples....
).
Two lawsuits have been filed in Canada by survivors of the Sixties Scoop, one in Ontario in 2010 and one in British Columbia in 2011.
Use of the Term
The term "Sixties Scoop" has wide usage in Canadian media:"A new report shines a light on the "sixties scoop," where unusually high numbers of native children were put into foster care or adopted, usually by white families. (CBC Radio Archives, 1993)
“Lawsuit filed for 'Sixties Scoop' kids,” (The Victoria Times Colonist, June 1, 2011)
“The ‘Sixties Scoop’ is a term that refers to the phenomenon, beginning in the 1960s and carrying on until the 1980s, of unusually high numbers of children apprehended from their native families and fostered or adopted out, usually into white families...” (Reder, 2007)
“Commonly referred to as the Sixties Scoop, the practice of removing large numbers of aboriginal children from their families and giving them over to white middle-class parents was discontinued in the mid-’80s..” (Eye Weekly, Toronto Star Newspapers Ltd.).
"B.C. natives sue federal government for millions over 'Sixties' Scoop'." (The Vancouver Sun, May 31, 2011)
Similar social developments in other countries
An event similar to the Sixties Scoop happened in Australia where Aboriginal children, sometimes referred to as the Stolen GenerationStolen Generation
The Stolen Generations were the children of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent who were removed from their families by the Australian Federal and State government agencies and church missions, under acts of their respective parliaments...
, were removed from their families and placed into internment camps, orphanages and other institutions. A similar term, Baby Scoop Era
Baby scoop era
The Baby Scoop Era was a period in history starting after the end of World War II and ending in the 1970s and 1980s, characterized by an increased rate of pre-marital pregnancies over the preceding period, along with a higher rate of newborn adoption....
refers to the period in United States history starting after the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and ending in 1972, characterized by an increased rate of pre-marital pregnancies over the preceding period, along with a higher rate of forced adoption
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
.