Voices From Here

Using the circle discussion strategy, open a discussion about Lori Campbell’s interview. Teachers are encouraged to create and select questions that are appropriate for their classroom, but possible questions include: 1. Does anything require clarification? 2. What does Lori Campbell’s interview reveal about transracial adoptions in Saskatchewan during the Sixties Scoop era? 3. How did the advice given to her family and the way her family raised her encourage Lori’s assimilation into non- Indigenous culture? What impact did this advice have on Lori? 4. What was the government’s role in assimilation and genocide? (Consider: the adoption program; placement with non-Indigenous families; advice on raising children in other cultural heritages). What are some of the consequences of cultural assimilation? 5. What were some of the difficulties Lori Campbell faced while trying to learn about herself and reconnect with her family over the course of 25 years? 6. How did Lori Campbell resist assimilation as an adolescent and find healing as an adult? 7. What else in her interview stood out to you? 1. After students have watched the Lori Campbell video, ask them to think about the following questions, and take notes. • Why might the provincial government have taken this approach in promoting the targeted transracial adoption program? • What picture of the story would you get if you only examined the newspaper ads? • What does Lori Campbell’s testimony add to the picture that official sources do not? • Why must we be careful when looking at official/government sources? • How does hearing Lori’s story change your perception of the ad? • How were newspapers used on both sides of the Sixties Scoop to advertise adoptions (which separated families) and help people reunite? Think about the People Finder in the Western Producer as an example. 2. Pair students, and have students share their thoughts with their partner. 3. Lead a class discussion about these questions. Partners can share thoughts together. PART II: CIRCLE DISCUSSION PART III: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ACTIVITY 4 LORI CAMPBELL INTERVIEW PART I: WATCH THE INTERVIEW As a class, watch Lori Campbell’s interview. Encourage students to pay close attention to her experiences growing up in a non-Indigenous home and how she reconnected with her birth family. ILLUSTRATION BY NATASHA DONOVAN. STILL FROM LORI CAMPBELL VIDEO (HISTORICA CANADA). STILL FROM LORI CAMPBELL VIDEO (HISTORICA CANADA). 12