Being First Nations and Discovering My Indigenous Identity
I was born in July 1967, brought to Ottawa from my reserve in Alderville, Ontario to be given up for adoption. I spent almost a year in foster care before being adopted into a wonderful, non-Indigenous family.
In my blog, I will be writing about what it was like to grow up without my language and culture and then finding my blood related family.
It’s been a journey that I hope you enjoy and learn more about what it is like to discover my Indigenous culture.
Listen now to Kevin Lamoureux to better understand Truth and Reconciliation
Truth and Reconciliation
What are the
Calls
to Action?
There are 94 Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation report. You can read them here but note only 10 have been completed. In my blog, I will be exploring stories behind why there was a call to action; what story was told to result in a specific action, and what action and progress is being made to repair the damages done.
You, by listening and learning are making a difference! Our government is following the 80th Call to Action by declaring September 30th the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I believe that this is an important step for all Canadians to take time to learn what happened in our own history. Perhaps now, we can rewrite our history to be told from our Indigenous peoples, and not by the governments and the religious groups that covered up so much horrific tragedies.
Much of what I will be writing about is painful to read. I have been having a difficult time reading and listening to all of these stories, but I owe it to my ancestors, my children and myself to better understand and honor the survivors and the ones who were lost.
What Was The Sixties Scoop?
This is my picture at Children’s Aid. My adopted mom said she came into the room of about 6 kids and said that I was the one who looked like I needed the most help. Skinny and all eyeballs! As this took place in 1968, I am considered part of the Sixties Scoop.
The Sixties Scoop refers to the adoption of First Nations and Metis children into non-Indigenous families. In many cases the children were removed from their homes by government authorities, often without consent. It was a colonialist assumption that we were culturally inferior. Many First Nations considered this an act of genocide.
In this section of my blog, I will be writing about what it was like to be known as the Little Indian Baby. I was extremely fortunate to be adopted into a loving family. There are so many others that were not. They lived for years in foster care and then, without support, left to go into the world on their own-without family, support and complete loss of culture, language and often with horrific discrimination.
Many of these stories I will be talking about in these blog posts are very sad and filled with incredible loss, but not talking about them doesn’t make them not part of our history.
