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Call for Ontario to Apologize for

the Cultural Genocide of the ’60s Scoop

“Today, as premier, I would like to apologize on behalf of?the Province of Manitoba for the ’60s?Scoop – the practice of removing First Nation, Métis and Inuit children from their families and placing them for adoption in non-Indigneous homes, sometimes far from their home community and for the losses of culture and identity to the children and their families and communities,” Premier Greg Selinger said Thursday in Winnipeg. With this unequivocal apology for the cultural genocide that took place, Manitoba is the first provincial jurisdiction to make such a declaration, as well as open their adoption records so that they are more accessible to survivors. The Ontario Coalition of Aboriginal People (OCAP) commends Premier Selinger for his leadership in making an apology, since it’s an important first step in an acknowledgement of the harm that was caused and continues to cause on Aboriginal children and families. Opening the Manitoba provincial adoption records will assist adoptees and birth parents to reconnect with each other. “The public interest requires that the reconciliation process also be inclusive of providing compensation for survivors,” said Brad Maggrah, OCAP President.

“OCAP is calling on Premier Kathleen Wynne to follow the lead of Premier Selinger and make an apology on behalf of Ontario,” said President Maggrah. OCAP is advocating that education in Ontario include awareness of the ’60s scoop and its impact on Aboriginal children.

In 1985, Judge Edwin C. Kimelmann chaired a Manitoba Review Committee on Indian and Métis Adoptions and Placements. In his report, he stated: “having now completed the review of the files…the chairman now states unequivocally that cultural genocide has been taking place in a systemic, routine manner.”

On February 9, 2009, lawyers acting for the representative Plaintiffs Chief Marcia Brown Martel from Beaverhouse First Nation and Robert Commanda from Dokis First Nation, filed a multi-million dollar class-action lawsuit against Canada under the Ontario Class Proceedings Act.  The plaintiffs launched this class action lawsuit for themselves and possibly 16,000 other Aboriginal individuals who were victims of the ’60s Scoop. The action was certified in 2010 and sets out claims of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty by the federal government.

OCAP is notifying its members affected by the

’60s Scoop, that they can register and possibly join in the class action lawsuit that is proceeding against the federal government. “If you are a survivor of the ’60s Scoop and lost your culture, language or traditions, then you should consider contacting the law firm handling this class action,” said President Maggrah. If you are interested in registering as a claimant contact:

Wilson Christen Barristers

137 Church Street

Toronto, ON M5B 1Y4

Tel: 416-360-5952

Toll Free: 1-866-360-5952

Email:

info@wilsonchristen.com

Claimants in the lawsuit are limited to:

a) people who are First Nations (including status, non-status Indians), and Métis;

b) those who were placed in a non-First Nations environment;

c) those who experienced their loss/denial in Ontario; and

d) those who experienced their loss/denial between January 1, 1965 and December 31, 1984.

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