Despite small victories, Indigenous communities around the world face an uphill battle
Indigenous communities across Canada were handed a rare victory on Friday, when the government agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in compensation over forced separation and adoption practices.
Beginning in the 1960s, government social workers separated indigenous children from their families and put them up for adoption, part of a massive campaign lasting through the 1980s. Intended to hinder indigenous identity, language, and cultural practice, the “Sixties Scoop” (nicknamed because of the government’s practice of “scooping” children away from their homes) was ultimately ended after a government report in the province of Manitoba harshly criticized the program.
But it would be another 30 years before the government took action to make amends — Friday’s announcement is the result of a class-action lawsuit filed eight years ago. If approved, as many as 30,000 people will be paid CAD$750 million in compensation for the government’s actions as part of the settlements.
“I don’t know what people were thinking,” said Carolyn Bennett, who serves as minister of crown-indigenous relations. In announcing the settlement, Bennett apologized for the Scoop, during which thousands of children were placed in countries across the globe, some as far away as New Zealand.
https://thinkprogress.org/indigenous-peoples-day-struggle-ad496e9b83c5/