Premier Rachel Notley delivered a formal apology, on behalf of Alberta, to the survivors of the Sixties Scoop.

With Monday’s apology, Alberta has become the second province to acknowledge its role, and look at making amends for the dark chapter in Canadian history.

Back in 2015, former Manitoba premier Greg Selinger apologized.

Between the 1950s and the 1980s, about 20,000 Indigenous children were seized from their families, and relocated into non-Indigenous homes. These children were stripped of their language, traditions and family ties.

The seizures peaked in the 1960s, which prompted the name ‘60s Scoop.

“It hurts just to imagine the heartbreak experienced by these families, along with the loss of language, culture and sense of belonging,” Premier Rachel Notley said in a statement. “Survivors can never replace what was taken, and I am sorry.

“We must acknowledge these wrongs and the toll they have taken, and thank survivors for their courage in speaking up.”

 

 

To this day, survivors are still dealing with emotional trauma, which has been compared to survivors of residential schools.

“In the true spirit of reconciliation, this apology from the Premier is an acknowledgement that the Sixties Scoop was a dark chapter in Alberta’s history,” Adam North Peigan, president of the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta, said in a statement. “This apology is long overdue and is a greatly needed step in the healing process for our Indigenous communities.

“This apology means a lot, not only to survivors, but to Albertans in general as well because it’s an opportunity to create public awareness on the history and legacy of the Sixties Scoop.”

Many of the children who were seized as part of the program experienced abuse, mistreatment and neglect, and lost touch with their families.

The apology came after the province worked with the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta between January and March – in that time; survivors shared their stories with the province.

With files from The Canadian Press