After 50 years of being separated from her Indigenous family, a Sixties Scoop survivor has finally returned to her home in Manitoba.
Evelyn Courchene, now 60 years old, was taken from her family at the age of six and placed in a non-Indigenous foster home in Ontario. She was one of the thousands of Indigenous children who were removed from their families and communities during the Sixties Scoop, a period from the 1960s to the 1980s when the Canadian government forcibly removed Indigenous children from their homes and placed them in non-Indigenous homes.
Courchene’s return to Manitoba was made possible through the Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta (SSISA), a non-profit organization that helps Sixties Scoop survivors reconnect with their families and communities. The SSISA provided Courchene with the resources and support she needed to find her family and make the journey back to her home province.
For Courchene, the reunion with her family was emotional and overwhelming. She was greeted by her siblings, nieces, and nephews, many of whom she had never met before. She also had the opportunity to visit her mother’s grave and pay her respects.
“I feel like I’m home,” Courchene said. “I feel like I’m where I belong.”
The SSISA has helped over 100 Sixties Scoop survivors reconnect with their families and communities since its inception in 2015. The organization also provides cultural and emotional support to survivors as they navigate the process of returning to their Indigenous roots.
According to the SSISA, the Sixties Scoop had a devastating impact on Indigenous communities, resulting in the loss of culture, language, and identity for many survivors. The organization is working towards reconciliation by helping survivors heal and reconnect with their families and communities.
Courchene’s return to Manitoba is a significant step towards healing and reconciliation for her and her family. She hopes that her story will inspire other Sixties Scoop survivors to reach out and reconnect with their families and communities.
“I want to encourage other survivors to come forward and find their families,” Courchene said. “It’s never too late to come home.”
