This past summer, I’ve been so pleased to hear the compassionate response to Kohkum’s First Drum — a heartfelt and personal story by Monique Gray Smith regarding the impacts of being a sixties scoop survivor.
My family has not been impacted by the sixties scoop but my mom and aunties and uncles were impacted by residential school. And my dad’s side was impacted by Bill C-31 which brings forward a number of challenges amidst community, including rejection of the validity of Indigenous people due to a misogynist law. Something that caused communities to splinter. While these are distinctly different experiences to have as Indigenous people, there is a common thread of the pain and disconnect caused by colonial harm.
Stories regarding the sixties scoop are so deeply important and it’s important for those who were impacted by this intentional separation of Indigenous children from their communities to have a voice.
I feel so proud to have worked on this publication by such an incredibly talented author. Please consider adding this book to your collection, order it to your local library or request it at your local bookstore!
