Reaction mixed as Premier Scott Moe apologizes for ’60s Scoop
“We failed.”
Those were the words of Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe, who apologized in Regina today for the provincial government’s role in the ’60s Scoop. The apology took place during a special presentation at the Legislature, which included invited guests and ’60s Scoop survivors. When Moe rose from his seat to issue the apology on behalf of all residents of Saskatchewan, he expressed regret for what happened to thousands of individuals for more than four decades.
“This is a day for our government to acknowledge with honesty, with humility and with deep regret, what happened in Saskatchewan,” he said. “The ’60s Scoop refers to a period in time in Canadian history where Indigenous children were removed from their families and their communities by child welfare services. Thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were placed in non-Indigenous foster and adoptive homes in Saskatchewan, and in some cases, across Canada and the United States.”
Moe stated not nearly enough consideration was given to the fact Indigenous children come from communities with their own traditions, cultures and history. As a result, he noted families were separated and children grew up without an identity. Moe described many ’60s Scoop survivors as “caught between two worlds” without a sense of who they were or where they came from.