It is an honor for the Voices of Future Generations Children´s Initiative to be given the opportunity to contribute to the healing journey and reconciliation of Sixties Scoop survivors, their descendants, and families through the Voices of Future Generations Children´s Initiative Project.
This project, made possible by the Sixties Scoop Healing Foundation, will allow the VoFG CI to publish beautiful and powerful children's stories about the Sixties Scoop, survival, resilience, and healing, and it will provide a platform for children's voices to be heard across Canada and globally.
Through an awareness and engagement process both in schools and through informal cultural and educational networks, stories written by Indigenous Child Authors and Child Ambassadors who are descendants of Sixties Scoop Survivor(s) or their families will be selected, edited, and illustrated. In addition, online and in-person youth and children’s events will be organized to celebrate the published stories and to expand the world´s knowledge and empathy for the experiences of survivors and their descendants, as well as to raise awareness about Indigenous Peoples' rights.
As these children’s voices and stories are recognized and celebrated, Sixties Scoop survivors and their descendants will benefit from increased awareness, understanding, and representation in children´s literature, which has the potential to inspire future generations to lead transformative changes in favor of a more just, equitable, peaceful, and sustainable world for all.
This project will be led by a CISDL Indigenous Leadership Commission of Sixties Scoop Survivors, families and descendants and Indigenous Peoples, providing direction and making decisions. The Indigenous Leadership Commission will guide outreach among Sixties Scoop Survivors and their families, shape events and activities, and ensure all are conducted in a culturally safe and trauma-informed manner.
The VoFG CI deeply believes in the power of storytelling and children´s voices and eagerly looks forward to empowering Indigenous children to raise their voices, defend their rights, and share their inspiring stories and visions of a better future.
Watch the grant signing celebration below: