Sixties Scoop survivor wants to see apology from Sask. government

Survivor Jacqueline Maurice says it's important that the Sixties Scoop be acknowledged in Saskatchewan.

"This is a pain that needs to be acknowledged," said Maurice, who was taken from her family under Saskatchewan's Adopt Indian andMtisprogram.

Court proceedings in a massive class action lawsuit representing thousands of people began yesterday in Ontario, and were adjourned until December.

Between 1965 and 1984, around 16,000 Aboriginal children in the province were placed with non-native families. Similar programs were set up across the country, including in Saskatchewan.

This is a pain that needs to be acknowledged.- Jacqueline Maurice, Sixties Scoop survivor

The suit claims the children suffered a devastating loss of cultural identity after they were taken away from their communities. The plaintiffs say they suffered emotional, psychological and spiritual harm from their lost connection to their Aboriginal heritage.

The suit is asking for $1.3 billion in damages, which works out to $85,000 for each affected person.

"The impacts, similar to the residential school, are not only to the immediate survivors of the Sixties Scoop. They are also intergenerational, and we need to give consideration to that," said Maurice, who is a social worker and author ofThe Lost Children: A Nation's Shame.

• Merchant law firm launches class-action lawsuit for Sixties Scoopadoptees
• Sixties Scoop survivors recall painful memories in Ontario
• Mtis leader disappointed with delay in Sixties Scoop apology

Lawyer Tony Merchant launched a similar class-action lawsuit on behalf of Saskatchewan's Sixties Scoop survivors last year. While Maurice is grateful the legal process is bringing attention to the issue, she hopes the matter will be ultimately settled out of court.

"One of the things we've learned from the residential school experience, or really, any survivor or victim of any instance, is when you go through the court process, there is a sense of revictimization," she said. "An out-of-court settlement would be ideal, and then, hopefully, our province can follow through."

Province to issue formal apology: Wall

Last year, Premier Brad Wall said the provincial government would be issuing a formal apology on the matter, but nothing has happened yet.

"We still need to go forth with that," she said. "We need to work with our local Indigenous leadership on that as well as our local, regional and provincial governments. Brad Wall, I believe, will be watching closely to what's happening in Ontario."

The province has said it is working on holding an apology ceremony, but it has been delayed due to numerous scheduling conflicts