Indigenous Canadians taken from homes as children get day in court

Indigenous Canadians taken from homes as children get day in court

Class-action lawsuit brought against Canadian government by survivors of ‘Sixties Scoop’ to be heard in court after years of appeals and delays

‘Sixties Scoop’ to be heard in court after years of appeals and delays

Jessica Murphy in Ottawa
Monday 22 August 2016 17.21 EDT

After years of delay, thousands of indigenous Canadians who were forcibly removed from their homes as children are finally getting their day in court.

An Ontario superior court judge will on Tuesday hear arguments in a summary judgment motion for a class-action lawsuit brought against the Canadian federal government by survivors of the episode, known as the “Sixties Scoop”.

Around 16,000 indigenous children were taken from their families and communities, and put up for fostering or adoption by mostly non-indigenous families across Canada and the United States – often without the consent of their parents. Some were sent as far away as New Zealand and Australia.

Survivors and their families say the forced removal robbed the children of their cultural identity and caused an emotional rift that has been felt through generations.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/aug/22/indigenous-canadians-children-sixties-scoop-court