Ohpikiihaakan-ohpihmeh (Raised somewhere else)
A 60s Scoop Adoptee’s Story of Coming Home
The personal story of a 60s scoop survivor — the loss, the trauma and the journey to heal.
About the book
During the 60s Scoop, over 20,000 Indigenous children in Canada were removed from their biological families, lands and culture and trafficked across provinces, borders and overseas to be raised in non-Indigenous households.
Ohpikiihaakan-ohpihmeh delves into the personal and provocative narrative of Colleen Cardinal’s journey growing up in a non- Indigenous household as a 60s Scoop adoptee. Cardinal speaks frankly and intimately about instances of violence and abuse throughout her life, but this book is not a story of tragedy. It is a story of empowerment, reclamation and, ultimately, personal reconciliation. It is a form of Indigenous resistance through truth-telling, a story that informs the narrative on missing and murdered Indigenous women, colonial violence, racism and the Indigenous child welfare system.
What people are saying
Waubgeshig Rice, author of Legacy“With Canadians slowly awakening to the reality of the 60s Scoop and its ongoing repercussions, Cardinal’s inspiring work here is essential reading and will be an integral resource for generations to come.”
Winnipeg Free Press“Offers a window through which readers can see why cultural suppression is such a dark chapter in Canada’s history.”