Dr. Brittany Penner, a Métis physician, has gradually accepted her identity as a survivor of the Sixties Scoop after being raised by non-Indigenous parents. Despite not fitting the typical narrative of Indigenous children taken from their families, Penner felt disconnected from her culture growing up. Now, as she navigates her Indigenous heritage and impending motherhood, Penner acknowledges herself as a Sixties Scoop survivor, a term that her birth and adoptive parents may not fully embrace.
Raised in a Mennonite family near Steinbach, Manitoba, Penner had numerous foster siblings and cousins, all Indigenous children in similar situations. She absorbed misconceptions about Indigenous culture from her environment, leading to a distorted sense of normalcy in her upbringing. Despite a loving yet complex relationship with her adoptive parents, Penner grappled with insecurities about her place in the family dynamic.
Penner’s quest for self-discovery intensified during medical school, culminating in a breakthrough when she learned her birth mother’s name. Meeting her birth mother, Crystal, brought a mix of emotions, including grief for lost moments and milestones. Reflecting on her journey, Penner highlights the pressure to feel grateful for the opportunities she received, despite the challenges she faced.
The Sixties Scoop era, which saw Indigenous children forcibly removed from their families and placed with non-Indigenous caregivers, played a significant role in Penner’s life story. While not taken forcibly or sent far away, Penner’s experiences are intertwined with Canada’s history of Indigenous family separation. With her own child on the way, Penner aims to break the cycle of government intervention in her family line, marking a significant shift in generational experiences.
Penner’s memoir, “Children Like Us: A Métis Woman’s Memoir of Family, Identity and Walking Herself Home,” delves into her personal journey and was published in Canada by Penguin Random House.