December 10, 2024 (Edmonton, AB) – A class action aiming to hold Canada accountable for the harms it inflicted on Métis and non-status Indian children in the Sixties Scoop is currently before the courts. From December 9-12, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government will participate as an intervener in the summary judgment hearing in Varley et al v. The Attorney General of Canada (“Varley Action”). The Otipemisiwak Métis Government is seeking justice for the many Métis children taken from their parents, families, and communities in this heinous act of cultural genocide.
“This week marks a pivotal moment in our ongoing journey toward justice for Métis Citizens who—through no fault of their own—were victims of Canada’s deliberate efforts to erase their identity as Indigenous people,” said Andrea Sandmaier, President of the Otipemisiwak Métis Government. “While we remain hopeful that the Court will recognize Canada’s responsibility for its actions—taking our children, disrupting our families, and stripping us of our ability to pass down our language, traditions, and culture—we know that true justice extends beyond addressing the harm done to individual victims. Our government is committed to holding Canada accountable for the profound damage inflicted on the Métis Nation within Alberta as a collective. We will continue to work tirelessly to ensure our future generations are rooted in the richness of our Métis heritage.”
Brooke Bramfield, Secretary of Children and Family Services for the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, added, “the Sixties Scoop tore children away from the heart of their Métis identity, leaving scars that continue to affect families and communities today. As a government, we continue to seek accountability as we work to ensure that future generations of Métis children never experience the same erasure of their culture, language, and heritage.”
The Varley Action was brought in the wake of the 2018 Sixties Scoop settlement, which excluded Métis and non-status Indian victims from the compensation Canada promised victims. The summary judgment motion will address whether Canada had a responsibility to protect Métis and non-status Indian children who were taken from their families in the Sixties Scoop, and if Canada had a special obligation to act in the best interests of those children. Canada, for its part, denies responsibility and argues that the victims’ claims are out of time because the limitation period has lapsed.
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