Kamloops, BC—May 24, 2022—The Thompson-Nicola Regional Library (TNRL) invites the public to learn about what was lost when Indigenous children were separated from their families and communities during the Sixties Scoop.
The Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta (SSISA), in partnership with the TNRL, is bringing the Bi-Giwen: Coming Home – Truth Telling from the Sixties Scoop exhibit to the downtown Kamloops Library.
The exhibit will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2022, from 10 am to 5 pm, at the Kamloops Library, located at 100-465 Victoria Street. Media and the public are invited to attend the welcoming remarks and unveiling of the exhibit. Media are requested to arrive at 9:45 am in order to set up before the opening remarks begin at 10 am.
This first-of-its-kind travelling exhibit shares the history of the Sixties Scoop and the stories of its survivors. It includes 12 personal testimonials of strength and resilience.
“The Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta is proud to bring this exhibit to Kamloops that describes the powerful and emotional stories and devastating impacts of Sixties Scoop in Canada,” said Sandra Relling, SSISA President. “We are grateful for the ongoing support of the Kamloops Library as we showcase this exhibit throughout B.C. The exhibit is an opportunity to share and educate Canadians about the history of Indigenous people in relation to the Sixties Scoop”.
Background:
The Sixties Scoop refers to government practices across Canada from the 1950s to the 1980s that led to an unknown number of First Nations, Metis and Inuit children taken from their parents, families and communities by child intervention services and placed in non-Indigenous families. Many of these children experienced abuse, mistreatment and neglect. They also lost touch with their families, communities, culture and traditional language. The effects of the Sixties Scoop are still felt by survivors and their families today.
Media contacts:
Sandra Relling, President
Sixties Scoop Indigenous Society of Alberta
Tel.: 780-446-8411
Dara Hill, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Thompson-Nicola Regional Library
Tel.: 250 377-8673
Email: dhill@tnrd.ca