Sixties Scoop Essay

Throughout the early 20th century, the Australian public was led to believe that Aboriginal children were disadvantaged in their communities, and that there was a high risk of physical and sexual abuse. Aboriginal children were being removed in order to be exposed to ‘Anglo values’ and ‘work habits’ with a view to them being employed by colonial settlers, and to stop their parents, families and communities from passing on their culture, language and identity

Michael Downey’s essay, “Canada’s ‘Genocide’: Thousands Taken from Their Homes Need Help” (Downey 445-448), imparts a harrowing account of the hardships and trauma induced by the controversial child apprehensions, often referred to as the ‘Sixties Scoop.’ The essay opens with Downey’s heart-rending recount of Carla Williams’ story, detailing her first-hand experience as a subject of this abuse, who managed to survive and come out triumphant. This explicit topic introduction foreshadows and gives invaluable warrant to his thesis: that the forced adoptions that occurred within Aboriginal communities during this era resulted in cultural and individual upheaval, as well as a belief that both the individuals and communities affected can

Adrian John Lingley 3/3/2024 1950s DBQ Essay. The 1950s was seen as a time of peace between WW2 and the Cold War. However, the peace image of the 1950s was an over-generalization that ignored the realities of what was going on in the country. There were big changes in society, culture, and politics that changed the idea of a peaceful society.

The 1950s were often considered a prosperous time, both socially and economically. However, with its affordable housing, post-war economy, and rich culture, the 50s are fondly looked back on by many. The 1950s do not deserve their reputation as a time of peaceful conformity, as that ignores the struggles of those who wished to change the status quo and were shunned to the side by the new norms. The harmonic image of the 1950s is an overgeneralization that ignores the realities of what was happening in the country. And while plenty were happy to accept things like the country's gender roles, music, and conformist structure.

Although the main object of this housing program was creating better living circumstances for Aboriginal people; this program had several negative influences on Aboriginal people. For instance, women were usually the targets of negative judgments by inspectors (10). Inspectors were usually showing thoughts that Aboriginal women were neglectful of their children and un-clean. For example,” an application in 1971 from a single mother in a country town was refused an offer of

As residential schools were discredited, the child welfare system became the new agent of assimilation and colonization (Russel, 2015). The introduction of section 88 in the Indian Act made it possible to enforce provincial child welfare legislation on-reserves (Knozlowski, Sinha, Hoey, & Lucas, 2011). This allowed provincial child welfare authorities to apprehend Indigenous children living on these reserves, which resulted in a sudden acceleration in child welfare workers removing Indigenous children from their communities (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1996). Before Section 88 emerged less than 1% of children in care in BC were Indigenous but by the early 1960s, 34% of children in care were Indigenous (Knozlowski et al., 2011).

The Different Impressions of People About the 1960s During the 1950s to the 1960s there was many changes in society. Many dramatic events of the twentieth century happened in the sixties, such Yuri Gagarin was the first man in space, Cuban missile Crisis, and John F Kennedy’s assassination. The Vietnam War and the first men on the moon,but the sixties was blamed for many things going wrong in society For teenagers the sixties was a great time for them, they could finally have their own lives and their own freedom of expression in their clothes and music and tastes. Music had become more available and convenient because of the new technology; the new seven-inch singles were created light,

The current outcome of the Sixties Scoop is still unresolved; it was only in 2010 that a class action suit was brought to the courts in Ontario and 2011 from survivors in British Columbia. Restitution for this is far from over. According to John Beaucage the former Grand Chief of the Union of Ontario Indians, we have now entered a new stage in the assimilation of aboriginals called the “Millennium Scoop”. In his report commissioned by the Ministry Children and Youth Services he states “Although Aboriginal people make up about 2 per cent of the province’s population (2006 Census); we make up a far greater percentage of the children in care (estimates are from 10 to 20 per cent)” (Beaucage, 2011). While this is information is based on one report it does produce viable solutions and a basis for additional research.

The music of the sixties went through tremendous change. It shaped mush of the music we hear today. From New Orleans came Jazz, from the East Coast came rock, from the West Coast came Psychedelic rock, and from England came the Invasion.

The sociological effects that Aboriginal peoples in Canada face are vast. Residential schools, stripped people of their identity, enforced a cultural genocide, abused (both sexually and physically) children and created an unjust line of intergenerational trauma. Kinship ties, for the majority were lost during the residential school period, sometimes leaving entire communities displaced. The Canadian Government fails to recognize the treatment of Aboriginal peoples during the residential school period and there hasn’t been much done to help those who are affected.

It seems impossible that I have lived through so many decades! I have lived through decades from the thirties to the sixties, and there are many similarities between the two decades. In both decades democrats gained control in the political arena. Both decades were a time of rapid change, socially, economically, politically, and culturally. The population in the United States greatly increased by about fifty-four million people between the thirties and the sixties. Both decades were affected by a war; the 1930’s was greatly affected by WWII, and the sixties was greatly affected by the Viet Nam war. It seems like just yesterday that we began the roller coaster ride of the 1930’s.

Although many of these children were later adopted and had experienced an extensive education, the emotional and social cost was too high. The heartache experienced was detrimental to the growth and to their very survival. The ‘Stolen Generation’ has had significant effects upon the Australian history and culture and destructive effects upon the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples affected.

‘The Sapphires’ by Wayne Blair was the trigger that led my research into the effects of the Stolen Generation on Aboriginals in Australia. This film is about an Aboriginal singing group who want to make a name for themselves, but find it difficult because of the racism against them. This film also tells the stories of their cousin Kay, who was a half-caste and was stolen from her Aboriginal family at a young age to be taught the ways of white people, and forget her culture. This film made me realise that I am lucky to live in a country where racism of such an extent in which children are stolen from their indigenous families, isn’t part of our history, and has not affected me personally. From my research, I have found six main sources that have helped me to understand how large this problem was and continues to be. My sources: ‘The Sapphires’ by Wayne Blair; a film about a group of Aboriginal singers who are affected by racism which is based on a real life singing group; ‘The Sorry Speech’, by Kevin Rudd who was the Prime Minister of Australia in 2008 who explains the damage and apologises for the way that the actions of past governments tore apart the lives of their indigenous people. Then there is ‘Blind Eye,’ the documentary in which people who were stolen are interviewed and tell their stories. The film, ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ this tells the story of two girls who were stolen and gives us insight into how brutally that they were treated after being ripped apart from

What is the Sixties Scoop? The term Sixties Scoop was coined by Patrick Johnston in his 1983 report Native Children and the Child Welfare System. It refers to the Canadian practice, beginning in the 1960s and continuing until the late 1980s, of apprehending unusually high numbers of children of Aboriginal peoples in Canada [against the Native parents’ will] and fostering or adopting them out, usually into [medium-class]white families. An estimated 20,000 aboriginal children were taken from their families,” (1).  The Sixties Scoop refers to a particular phase of a larger

The 1960’s impacted the United States in profound ways. With the seventy million baby boomers growing into their teens, they brought with them change that is still evolving in our society today. The sixties was a time where American culture moved from being conservative to new and insightful ways of thinking. With these changes, it brought a new counter culture that would be known as the hippie culture. The hippies led way into a new sexual revolution that would break the old fashioned boundaries. The hippies also ushered in a new era where drugs became popular to a large public as well as within their own culture. Drugs were becoming a part of American culture, as well as new scientific research, into the benefits