Dear Editor
On Oct. 6, I like many M茅tis 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 鈥淟anguage and culture, apology and healing 鈥� these are the essential elements to begin to right the wrongs of this dark and painful chapter鈥�.
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, 鈥淢茅tis.鈥�
I went from hope, to disbelief and then disgust when all M茅tis sixties scoop survivors across Canada came to the painful realization the M茅tis 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 鈥渇ederal government cannot offer to settle M茅tis suits unilaterally, the provinces need to be at the table and that will happen during the second phase of negotiations.鈥澛� Further, the Lawyer for Chief Brown, Jeffery Wilson set forth in an interview CBC news Indigenous, 鈥淭he reason M茅tis are not included is because there are no relevant records to identify M茅tis during the relevant period of time.鈥澛犅�
For the record, I鈥檓 Robert Doucette, son of Dianne Mckay a proud M茅tis women from North West Saskatchewan. I鈥檓 the grandson, five generations removed, of Mckays who were involved in the fur trade, lived on traplines, called themselves 鈥減eople who moved with the seasons,鈥� 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 M茅tis 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 M茅tis (AIM) directory list for adoption and given a social services number. On my birth certificate it indicates my ethnicity, M茅tis. 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鈥檚 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 M茅tis out? Accordingly, Minister Bennett鈥檚 spokesperson explained they couldn鈥檛 unilaterally act to include the M茅tis but that鈥檚 exactly what they did when they included the Inuit in the agreement in principle. If they could include the Inuit, why not the M茅tis? Oh yes, I鈥檓 still waiting for the Premier Brad Wall鈥檚 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 M茅tis members of the community we were not welcome, told we were not M茅tis and shamed for trying to go home. Today I ask all Canadians to stand with the M茅tis sixty scoop survivors. Sadly, Minister Bennett continues the same line Canadian politicians have taken over the years, 鈥測es you M茅tis have rights 鈥� however you no longer exist!鈥� we will deal with you in the next phase. Just like my Mushoom who was supposed to receive his M茅tis scrip 111 years ago, we are both still waiting for justice.
Robert G. Doucette
Former president of the M茅tis Nation Sask
M茅tis sixties scoop survivor
