60’s Scoop survivors appear to have difficulty applying for compensation.
Melissa Parkin with the Saskatoon Indian Métis Friendship Centre said the application form itself is not easy to fill out.
Parkin will be making a presentation at the University of Regina Friday on the issues associated with the form and hurdles applicants can expect.
“Going through with the survivors of how hard it is for them to bring up their history and bring up numerous questions on whether the feel they qualify, because they were never told this growing up,” explained Parkin.
The Sixties Scoop refers to when Indigenous children were removed from their homes by child welfare services and placed in non-Indigenous homes, between 1951-1991. A national settlement would set aside $750 million.
Parkin estimates that up to 20,000 people in Canada and as many as 1000 here in the province may be ineligible for compensation due to document complications.
“If they were adopted, they would have to claim back their status and not all survivors were able to claim back their status. If they were homeless they would have troubles, as they don’t have the proper ID in order to apply for their status,” said Parkin.
She stated that many homeless survivors do not have their birth certificate or that government child welfare files were destroyed, further complicating the application process.
The provincial government is providing assistance to survivors in helping to track down relevant documents. Premier Scott Moe apologized in January to survivors and their families for the provinces apprehension participation.
(PHOTO: Sixties Scoop apology ceremony. By Dan Jones)