The Millennial Scoop

The Millennial Scoop[edit]

Those familiar with the history of Canada’s Sixties Scoop may recognize the term Millennial Scoop, or Millennium Scoop. The Millennial Scoop is what some would consider an ongoing and current dispossession of Indigenous children from their traditional families into the Canadian Welfare system for the intended purpose of foster care.

Background[edit]

It was not until the mid 1960’s that agreements were made regarding child welfare and services for Indigenous children. At this time there was a swift movement of Indigenous children into foster care. Roughly 11,132 Indigenous children were taken into Canada’s Welfare System between 1960-1990, in what became known as the Sixties Scoop era.^[1] There were similar cases in the United States in what was coined the Baby Scoop Era, and in Australia it was referred to as the Stolen Generations.

By the year 2002, the Canadian Welfare System had recorded approximately 22,500 Indigenous children in its care.^[2] Jane Philpott, former minister for Indigenous services Canada, remarked that “we are facing a humanitarian crisis in this country where Indigenous children are vastly, disproportionately over represented in the child welfare system".^[3] Despite the alarming number of Indigenous children in the child welfare system, it has been noted that welfare services are severely underfunded in comparison to their non-Indigenous Canadian counterparts.

A Nation Divided[edit]

In Canada, it is evident there is a much larger representation of Indigenous children in the foster care system than any other group. Indigenous children are “six to eight times more likely to be placed in foster care than non-Indigenous children”.^[4]

According to Census Canada “52.2% of children in foster care are Indigenous, but account for only 7.7% of the child population".^[5]

Manitoba has the most drastic number of Indigenous children in the Child Welfare System, with an average of one newborn taken in a day. The Indigenous population makes up only 21% of Manitoba, but accounts for 84% of the children in foster care.^[6]

Canada’s Child Welfare System monitors and has the right to apprehend children from parents who show signs of sexual abuse, emotional maltreatment, physical abuse, exposure to intimate partner violence, or neglect. Neglect is the largest known reason for apprehension and is disproportionately higher in the Indigenous community than the non-Indigenous community. C.Vowel reasons that neglect apprehension is largely a result of three structural factors within the Indigenous community; inadequate housing, substance abuse and poverty.^[7] Shelly Johnson from the Canadian Social Work Review calls these continued actions “on-going colonial foster care projects”.^[8] The Canadian Association of Social Workers (CASW) acknowledges that “first Nation families and children across Canada are especially impacted by the limited services, programs and resources”.^[9]

Effects on Indigenous Children[edit]

Many children from the Sixties Scoop era have reported instances of abuse and sexual assault while under foster care. Unfortunately this has continued into the Millennial era, as seen through a recent report from B.C.’s representative for children and youth outlining over 233 cases of sexual violence against youth within the provinces care.^[10] With the overwhelming number of Indigenous children pulled into the system, there has been a wide shortage of foster homes. As a result, children often have to await their future foster home in insufficiently secure motels. This insecurity can lead to tragic circumstances, like that of 15-year-old Tina Fontaine. The under-funding of Indigenous child welfare services also has a large trickle-down effect on Indigenous youth assisting in this misfortune. This under-funding has caused overcrowding, and poor conditions on reserves, which lead directly to neglect apprehension cases. For the youth who are not apprehended into the child welfare system, often the consequence of under-funding, and lack of mental health services lead to abnormally high suicide rates.^[11]

A 2017 survey by the Government of Canada profiled the experiences of a mix of over 400 Indigenous and non-Indigenous adults who had been in the foster care system ranging throughout the Sixties-Scoop era into the Millennial Scoop era. Many Indigenous persons surveyed mentioned issues of trust between them, and their foster families, and/or issues of trust with social services when trying to communicate their feelings of uneasiness or distrust of their current placements. There was also negative sentiment about cultural gaps from Indigenous youth within non-Indigenous foster homes, such as the cutting of young Indigenous boys’ hair, or not being allowed to attend ceremonies. Despite this, “however, some people said that that if they had experienced violence or abuse in their birth family homes, being in care helped protect them physically or emotionally”.^[12]

Effects on The Indigenous Community[edit]

Separated from their traditional means of power as a family unit, the foundations and bonds which normally extend throughout the Indigenous community are removed completely. This takes a toll on families’ mental health, and overall cultural continuity within the community. Many proponents to the current system have stated, “that the entire Indigenous child and family services system does not fit with Indigenous culture and values, and that it should be completely rebuilt”.^[13]

Canada Vs. United Nations Tribunal[edit]

Studies have shown a large disparity between on-reserve funding versus off-reserve child welfare funding. As a result, the Government of Canada was taken to court in 2007 by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) for what would be a human rights lawsuit for wrongful discrimination. The year 2016 brought an affirmative win for AFN and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society at the “Human Rights Tribunal which found that the over representation of First Nations children was a direct result of the federal government’s inadequate funding to the child welfare agencies that serve children ordinarily resident on-reserve”.^[14]

Recent Legislature[edit]

Bill C-92 was enacted on February 28th, 2019 in efforts to respect First Nations, Inuit , and Metis children, youth and families' right to exercise their hand over such services. To assist in cultural continuity, better equality, and to represent a “concrete step towards reconciliation”.^[15]

References[edit]