Notley says talks will precede any decision on apology for ’60s Scoop
Premier Rachel Notley says Alberta can’t commit to any formal apology to indigenous families over the ’60s Scoop without discussion on the best way to make any such gesture meaningful.
But she acknowledges what happened was traumatic with effects on families that reverberate today and need to be addressed.
Indigenous Relations Minister Richard Feehan is currently meeting with affected groups, and Notley says afterward they will determine the best way forward.
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An estimated 20,000 aboriginal children were taken by child welfare agents starting in the 1960s and put into the care of non-indigenous families on the premise they would receive better care.
Many suffered from the effects of cultural and family isolation and in some cases were abused.
In 2015, the Manitoba government formally apologized for the trauma suffered by those taken away.