Premier Scott Moe formally apologized Monday morning for the pain and suffering the government caused when it apprehended Indigenous children from their homes and placed them with non-Indigenous families in the late 1950s and into the 1980s.
The government apprehensions are now commonly known as the Sixties Scoop.
In his address, the Premier said the apprehensions may have been done with good intent by governments of the day but the hardship they created for those affected is unacceptable.
“We’re sorry for the pain and sadness that you have experienced,” he said. “We’re sorry for your loss of culture and language. And to all those who lost contact with their family, we’re so sorry.”
As a result, Moe said the government let down many beyond just the Sixties Scoop survivors.
“We failed the survivors we heard from in the sharing circles and so many others. We failed their families and we failed their communities. We failed.”
The Premier said the province is now working to remedy some of the ill effects caused by the Sixties Scoop including helping survivors obtain historical family records and ensuring child welfare services are delivered in a culturally appropriate way.
In a released statement, Saskatchewan NDP Leader Ryan Meili said with over 5,000 children in care in the province, most of who are First Nations and Métis, Saskatchewan still has a long way to go.
The government apology was made at the Saskatchewan Legislature in Regina.
With files from Dan Jones.
(PHOTO: Apology ceremony to Sixties Scoop survivors. By Dan Jones.)