On October 6th, I like many Metis 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 Martell – 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 “Metis.”
I went from hope, to disbelief and then disgust when all Metis sixties scoop
survivors across Canada came to the painful realization the Metis 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 Metis 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 Metis are not
included is because there are no relevant records to identify Metis during the
relevant period of time.”
For the record, I’m Robert Doucette, son of Dianne Mckay a proud Metis
women from North West Saskatchewan. I’m the grandson, 5 generations
removed of Mckay’s 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 Metis family with respect and deliver what they promised our
family.
I was placed in a foster home in Duck Lake, Saskatchewan, in September of
1962, I was put on the Saskatchewan Adopt an Indian and Metis (AIM)
directory list for adoption and given a social services number. On my birth
certificate it indicates my ethnicity, Metis. I met my mother when I was
twenty 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 mothers 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 last weeks announcement by Minister
Bennett, to compensate and begin the reconciliation with sixties scoop
survivors one word comes to my mind, betrayal! How could a minster of the
crown stand in front of the television cameras profess sorrow for the sixties
scoop survivors only to leave the Metis out? Accordingly, Minister Bennett’s
spokesperson explained they couldn’t unilaterally act to include the Metis 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 Metis? Oh yes, I’m still
waiting for the Premier Brad Walls 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 Metis members of the community we were not
welcome, told we were not Metis and shamed for trying to go home. Today I
ask all Canadians to stand with the Metis sixty scoop survivors. Sadly,
Minister Bennett continues the same line Canadian politicians have taken
over the years, “yes you Metis 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 Metis scrip 111 years ago, we are both still waiting
for justice.
Robert G. Doucette
Metis sixties scoop survivor.