The Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta presented and displayed a one-day exhibit at the Lethbridge Public Library on Monday.
“We’re extremely honoured to have had the opportunity host this exhibit for just the one day it can be in Lethbridge,” library CEO Terra Plato said.
“As a public library, reconciliation is a key goal of ours and we’re an ideal place in the community to be a part of this work because we are a welcoming place for all.”
The exhibit shares the stories of several survivors and will travel throughout Alberta, with the hopes of expanding across the country.
“It’s an opportunity to do some education with mainstream Albertans so that they have a better understanding of our history as Indigenous people,” said Adam North Peigan, president of the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta.
The Sixties Scoop refers to a period of time when the Canadian government took First Nations, Metis and Inuit children from their homes to live with non-indigenous families.
Many the children were abused, mistreated and lost connection with their families, language and culture. A formal apology was given by the premier in May 2018.
READ MORE: ‘We are sorry:’ Alberta premier formally apologizes to ’60s Scoop survivors
Between the 1950s and the 1990s, an estimated 20,000 Indigenous and Metis children were taken from their families.
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