Sixties Scoop Apology Engagement - Alberta

Official title: Sixties Scoop apology engagement

Closed Policy & Studies Indigenous & Northern Justice & Rights
Alberta worked with Sixties Scoop survivors to shape a meaningful government apology. The Sixties Scoop saw Indigenous children taken from families and placed with non-Indigenous families, causing lasting trauma. Engagement sessions and online submissions gathered input on what a meaningful apology should look like. The government delivered its apology on May 28, 2018.

Why This Matters

Are you a Sixties Scoop survivor or family member? This engagement shaped how Alberta acknowledged this painful chapter. The trauma of being separated from family, culture, and language still affects survivors today. This process gave survivors a voice in how the government would say sorry.

What Could Change

This engagement directly informed the official apology delivered at the Alberta Legislature on May 28, 2018. Survivor input shaped the language and approach of the government's acknowledgment of harm caused by child removal policies.

Key Issues

  • How has being a Sixties Scoop survivor impacted you or loved ones?
  • What does a meaningful apology look like?
  • When someone says 'I'm sorry,' what does that mean to you?
  • What desires or hopes do you have coming out of an apology?

How to Participate

  1. This engagement is now complete. Read more about the Sixties Scoop apology that resulted from this process.

What Happened

Input from six community engagement sessions and online submissions informed the Government of Alberta's apology to Sixties Scoop survivors. The apology was delivered at the Alberta Legislature on May 28, 2018. Sessions were held in Peace River, St. Paul, Fort McMurray, Lethbridge, Calgary, and Edmonton during January-March 2018, featuring sharing circles guided by four key questions about the impact of the Sixties Scoop and what a meaningful apology should include.

View Final Decision

Key Documents