Dear Editor
On Oct. 6, I like many Métis survivors of the sixties scoop, watched with anticipation as Carolyn Bennett, Minister for Indigenous affairs stepped to the news conference podium to announce an agreement in principle to settle the sixties scoop lawsuits, 750 million dollars in compensation for Indian and Inuit children taken from their homes, and a tearful statement “Language and culture, apology and healing – these are the essential elements to begin to right the wrongs of this dark and painful chapter”.
My first thoughts were thank you Chief Marcia Brown Martel Brown for having the courage to go the limit and to bring justice to all of the sixties scoop survivors. However, I did not hear one word which should have been included in the statement, “Métis.”
I went from hope, to disbelief and then disgust when all Métis sixties scoop survivors across Canada came to the painful realization the Métis were left out of a major announcement which was heralded as a moment of contrition and reconciliation by the government of Canada.
Next to my amazement we started hearing the excuses and reasons from the federal government in which a federal government spokesperson stated the “federal government cannot offer to settle Métis suits unilaterally, the provinces need to be at the table and that will happen during the second phase of negotiations.” Further, the Lawyer for Chief Brown, Jeffery Wilson set forth in an interview CBC news Indigenous, “The reason Métis are not included is because there are no relevant records to identify Métis during the relevant period of time.”
For the record, I’m Robert Doucette, son of Dianne Mckay a proud Métis women from North West Saskatchewan. I’m the grandson, five generations removed, of Mckays who were involved in the fur trade, lived on traplines, called themselves “people who moved with the seasons,” spoke Cree, Dene, Northern Michif, English and French. My Mushoom could read three languages. They were and their descendants are intelligent, proud, hard working people, Canadians, who never gave up believing Canada some day would treat this Métis family with respect and deliver what they promised our family.
I was placed in a foster home in Duck Lake in September of 1962, I was put on the Saskatchewan Adopt an Indian and Métis (AIM) directory list for adoption and given a social services number. On my birth certificate it indicates my ethnicity, Métis. I met my mother when I was 20 years old, and I never met my Kookum nor Mushoom, whom would ask my mother to go and find his little man because he wanted to see his grandson one more time before he died. My collar bone was broken by a government health care provider while I was still in my mother’s womb, which resulted in torticollis. I could go on with the litany of pain and despair, but I believe the examples I have provided are enough.
After mentally digesting the impact of the announcement by Minister Bennett, to compensate and begin the reconciliation with sixties scoop survivors one word comes to my mind, betrayal! How could a minister of the crown stand in front of the television cameras profess sorrow for the sixties scoop survivors only to leave the Métis out? Accordingly, Minister Bennett’s spokesperson explained they couldn’t unilaterally act to include the Métis but that’s exactly what they did when they included the Inuit in the agreement in principle. If they could include the Inuit, why not the Métis? Oh yes, I’m still waiting for the Premier Brad Wall’s apology.
Growing up as a foster child you always have one thing on your mind, is today the day they are coming to take me? When we found out who we were and where we came from and made our way back to our home communities, we were told by some Métis members of the community we were not welcome, told we were not Métis and shamed for trying to go home. Today I ask all Canadians to stand with the Métis sixty scoop survivors. Sadly, Minister Bennett continues the same line Canadian politicians have taken over the years, “yes you Métis have rights – however you no longer exist!” we will deal with you in the next phase. Just like my Mushoom who was supposed to receive his Métis scrip 111 years ago, we are both still waiting for justice.
Robert G. Doucette
Former president of the Métis Nation Sask
Métis sixties scoop survivor
