Disrupting the Continuities Among Residential Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and Child Welfare: An Analysis of Colonial and Neocolonial Discourses

• Published in: International Indigenous Policy Journal
• Main Authors: Holly A. McKenzie, Colleen Varcoe, Annette J. Brown, Linda Day
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: University of Western Ontario 2016
• Subjects: Indigenous; Aboriginal; First Nations; Canada; child welfare; Sixties Scoop; residential schools; scipo; anthro-se
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.18584/iipj.2016.7.2.4; https://doaj.org/article/0fb0816bba824bb08d4b28588c2d31ee

In Canada, it is estimated that 3 times as many Indigenous children are currently in the care of the state compared to when the residential schools’ populations were at their peak. It is imperative that action be taken. This article explores the continuities among residential schools, the Sixties Scoop, and child welfare in Canada today. In particular, we examine how colonial and neocolonial discourses operate through and justify these policies and practices. We propose nine policy recommendations, which aim to transform child welfare and support Indigenous families to care for their children. Although transformative policy change is unlikely within this neocolonial and neoliberal climate, the recent change in federal leadership has made it more possible to move these policy recommendations forward.