A multi-million dollar settlement to the victims of the ’60s Scoop is a step in the right direction, but isn’t enough, according to Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) Chief Bobby Cameron.
Ottawa announced on Friday that it will be paying up to $750 million to those victims who were taken from their homes.
“Realistically, it’s not going to be enough,” Cameron said. “But, we want to thank the federal government for at least chipping away at the ’60s Scoop and addressing it.”
READ MORE: Ottawa pledges $800M for ’60s Scoop victim compensation, reconciliation foundation
During the ’60s Scoop, authorities took around 20,000 First Nations children from their homes on and off reserves between the 1960s and 1980s and placed them either in foster care or allowed them to be adopted by non-Indigenous families.
The multi-million dollar compensation is designed to settle many of the lawsuits from survivors, who said the ’60s Scoop led to mental disorders, substance abuse and suicide; stripping them of their heritage.
The agreement is aimed at compensating survivors who are eligible to receive compensation, which breaks down to between $25,000 and $50,000 per victim. But Cameron said there are many different paths to healing.
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FSIN is currently working on an apology with Saskatchewan’s government; they’re also asking for compensation.
There is no word from the provincial government on when an apology will take place.
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