Jacques BOURGON
asked
Susan Devan Harness:
In 1968, Solange and I were "import French teachers" in Saskatchewan, Canada. We had two young daughters. We adopted James Kevin Wasposwyan (aged 6 months) through A.I.M. (Adopt Indian and Metis) in Regina. My wife feared a "thalidomide baby". We took Olivier Kevin back to Sask in 1983. He left this world in 1988, at the age of 20. Did we make a mistake ?
Susan Devan Harness
I think you were doing what you thought was right at the time, without fully understanding the history of what Indian child placement meant: move them permanently away from the family and community because the boarding schools didn't accomplish that. However, as you and I have talked about, a lot of these issues that I talk about didn't become known, let alone acknowledged for a long time. It is my hope that if such placements occur, and they will, that the child is not permanently removed from their family and community. It's well documented the harm is causes in the long term. I'm so sorry for your loss.
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