“First Nation” is the term used for indigenous people of Canada. There are many First Nation people in Yukon, a western province of Canada where we spent couple of weeks last month.
Yukon is sparsely populated. Many of the indigenous people stand out with their distinguished features. Over past centuries attempts have been made towards forced assimilation of these people in Canada and US. More recently, the Canadian government has tried to undo the wrong done to the indigenous people over the decades by recognizing their cultural traditions and giving them resources and support to continue their way of life to the extent they want.
We have read many books but never really interacted with any native person in US or Canada in any significant way. When visiting a First Nations Cultural Center in Haines Junction; a small town two-hour drive from White Horse, we learned about the history of these people. We also learned about a practice labeled” Sixties scoop “ that was used by the Canadian government for assimilation of indigenous people.
From Google search and some panels in the cultural center I found the following description. “The Sixties Scoop is the catch-all name for a series of policies enacted by provincial child welfare authorities starting in the mid-1950s, which saw thousands of Indigenous children taken from their homes and families, placed in foster homes, and eventually adopted out to white families from across Canada and the United States. These children lost their names, their languages, and a connection to their heritage. Sadly, many were also abused and made to feel ashamed of who they were.”
“Some of the program’s administrators believed that if the children were removed from their homes early enough, they wouldn’t “imprint” as Indigenous people. Much like the residential school system before it, the Sixties Scoop was part of a broader plan to force Indigenous people into the Canadian mainstream.”
One of the most interesting conversations we had was with a middle aged indigenous woman who worked in the gift store of the Cultural Center in Haines junction. She briefly told us the story of her life. Let us call her Judy.
Judy was born in the town of White horse to parents who belonged to Tutchone tribe of First Nations. She and her two siblings were removed from their parents’ home for unclear reasons. Judy ended up with a white family in Quebec Province, which is thousands of miles away. She was only three years old. Her siblings were separated from her. She lived with her foster family under very unhappy circumstances. She was repeatedly reminded that she did not belong there. She was not allowed to keep in touch with her birth family and knew nothing about her parents or her culture. We could hear the bitterness in her voice.
When she was thirteen she decided to run away from the foster home. She was basically on her own after that and ended up somewhere in Midwest US. We did not ask her more details. She spent about three decades in US where she had two children, a boy and a girl. She stayed there until they grew up because she felt that she had to make sure they were well cared for. She never had the money to go visit her parents.
Her son joined US Army and is currently in Oklahoma and her daughter ended up in Nevada. She herself did not finish school. She says her knowledge and learning about life came from people she met along the way. She worked in warehouses and casinos but never in a store “like this” until now. She felt very privileged to work in the Gift store. Judy’s biggest regret is that she did not know her parents. She did not meet them. When she came back to White Horse after her kids flew from the nest, her parents were both deceased.
The people in the town told her that she looked just like her mother. That is the only solace she has of knowing that she is connected to her mother. She very much wishes that her son comes back to live near her but she is happy to be finally home.
The next day we met a 35 year old, white Canadian called Jess who was our kayaking guide. Jess shared with us a story that related her experience with the indigenous people near Montreal. She grew up in Montreal in a catholic family that valued education. She got a degree in social work. Her first job out of collage was to visit indigenous communities for child welfare and protection.
Jess found it very difficult to judge complex family situations and make decisions about taking children away from their families. She was young, inexperienced and did not speak any of the native languages. She said she learned invaluable life lessons from the families she was supposed to help. She tried her best to understand the culture and the family dynamics. When I asked her to describe a specific incidence, she said that she told parents who were beating their children (a cultural practice) to not beat them hard, no blood or bruises!!
Often families would barter for things they needed. They will barter a window or a door of their subsidized housing which was unacceptable to Jess, as the children will freeze in winter. Jess tried to not remove the children from their community as far as possible. She went with the families to court to understand what the judge was telling them. As a young, single woman she tried her best.
Canada has recognized the injustice done to the First Nations people and is trying now to help them preserve their culture. We were quite impressed with the cultural centers that are now built in White Horse and Haines Junction.
Meera, July 2019