“I’ll struggle, and I’ll fall…I’ll have my days, but it’s okay” Indigenous Women Surviving the Sixties Scoop

Abstract

Sixties scoop survivors possess different levels of cultural knowledge. Our objectives were for Indigenous women 1) to increase their cultural knowledge through teachings and engagement with Knowledge Carriers, 2) to have other supports and resources they require identified, and 3) to participate in a Full Moon Ceremony. Community-based research principles were used to establish the study design and research process. Teaching circles and Full Moon Ceremonies were held and experiences in the study collected through focus group discussions. Five themes were identified which included the manifestations of the sixties scoop, longing for culture, (re)connecting to culture, the impacts of culture, and barriers to practicing culture. Important recommendations emerged regarding the practice of culture in ceremony and in programs.

Keywords:

• Indigenous People,
• culture,
• sixties scoop,
• survivors,
• ceremonies