Their stories: the experiences of non-Native adoptive parents who adopted Native children during the 1960s through 1980s

Abstract

In recent literature, it has been stated that Native children adopted into non-Native homes do not fare well emotionally or culturally. But to place ourselves in another era; the decades of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, where the child welfare systems were overrun with Native children needing to be placed in long term homes, begs us to examine the systemic and political structures at play. Also, to examine the homes that these children were placed in and embrace a different perspective: the stories of the non-Native adoptive parents. This research study delves into the adoption experiences of eight non-Native adoptive parents and empirically examines their stories, resulting in many significant similarities and common themes with the main one being, the situation that these families found themselves in at times was not ideal but they transcended adversity to the best degree they could. Native children are no longer adopted out to non-Native families at the high rate that they once were. The political atmosphere of today differs significantly from the era that became known as the "Sixties Scoop". However, this study may contribute to the body of literature surrounding Native/non-Native adoption and could impact long term fostering policy and practice if the data were to be extrapolated into today's context.