'It's like we're nobody': Sixties Scoop survivor Gary Tinker frustrated over Métis exclusion
Northern Saskatchewan survivor says Métis people are always forgotten
Gary Tinker remembers the tears that streamed down his face as he sat on the plane taking him away from his family. It was the second time he had to say goodbye.
That was more than 40 years ago, but the Sixties Scoop survivor recalled the details of the event well. He remembers it was a yellow plane, and he remembers the man that put him on it.
Tinker, who was born with Cerebral Palsy in 1967, was only about three years old when he was taken from his home in Pinehouse Lake, Sask. for the first time.
Located northwest of La Ronge, there were no services in the community for people with Tinker's condition then. As a result, he ended up with a foster family in Saskatoon.
"It really affected me when I was growing up," he said. "Mostly loneliness. I had nobody to relate to."
"I didn't meet my father until I was five to six years old," he said, noting that he was allowed to move back home for a period of two years to learn Cree.
It was after those two years when he was placed on the yellow plane to be shipped back to the south.
Family tragedy and isolation
In 1981, Tinker recalled, his father committed suicide.
"It was very devastating for me," he said. "I never got any mental health help."
Tinker recalls suffering through surgeries alone in Saskatoon.
"I never had a visitor," he said. "My family couldn't come visit me because there were no roads back then, and they couldn't afford it."
Tinker shared his story in the wake of Friday's announcement from the federal government that Sixties Scoop survivors will be entitled to compensation from a $750-million fund. Ottawa says it has earmarked another $50 million for a foundation dedicated to reconciliation initiatives.
The announcement was met with mixed emotions from survivors, with some sharing the sentiment that no amount of money will replace their lost identities.
"It's like we're nobody."
Tinker, who is Métis, had mixed emotions as well.
"I'm glad for the First Nations, don't get me wrong," he said. "But they never even mentioned about our Métis citizens who were in foster care."
"It's like we're nobody."
Indeed, the claim doesn't include Métis people, according to Jeffrey Wilson, a lawyer who represented Ontario survivors in the class action lawsuit that led to the agreement.
Premier Brad Wall has said the province is ready to make a formal apology on the Sixties Scoop, but is still trying to coordinate with First Nations and Métis groups.
Isolated once again
"The government took away our transportation," he said, referring to the closure of the Saskatchewan Ttransportation Company, Saskatchewan's former government-owned bus company.
Tinker, who now lives back in Pinehouse Lake, said getting to Regina to attend an announcement would be difficult.
"If the premier says something for an apology, how the hell am I going to get there?"
Still, Tinker prefers to keep a positive attitude with the hope of making the world a better place for children who follow in his footsteps.
"Should I stay bitter about it, or try to fix the problem?" he asked.
It's not a new outlook, he said. In fact, in 1989 he walked 650 kilometres from La Ronge to Regina on crutches. He made the trek to raise awareness about the challenges of those with disabilities in the north.
Today, he said he fosters two children from the north.
"At least they're in their homelands."
With files from Kendall Latimer, Elisha Dacey and Lenard Monkman.