Kevin Hennessy

I am a Sixties Scoop Survivor and a member of Rama First Nation.

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I was taken from my birth family as a baby and adopted into a non-Indigenous family. I grew up loved, but without knowing where I came from, who my people were, or where I truly belonged.

 

In my twenties, I began searching for answers and eventually learned that I came from Rama First Nation. Finding out where I was from gave me a piece of my identity, but finding my way home would take many more years.

 

Over time, I began connecting with other Sixties Scoop Survivors and slowly building a relationship with the community I had been separated from as a child. In 2023, more than fifty years after I was taken, I finally made Rama First Nation my home.

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Today, I share my story because I want people to understand that the Sixties Scoop did not end when the children grew up. We carried the loss of identity, culture, family, and belonging with us into adulthood.

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My journey home has taught me that reconnection does not happen overnight. It is about learning, listening, healing, and finding the courage to step into spaces that should have always been ours.

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For me, coming home was not about returning to a place I remembered.

It was about finally discovering where I belong.

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I am honoured to be a part of Girl Within and to join forces with Sherri Lynn in helping to raise awareness and bring our lived experiences of the Sixties Scoop. And how it has affected us differently, yet similarly. Our stories follow the same path in early childhood, yet are much different over the course of our life. I also bring the experience of growing up and living most of my life, outside of the "Rez" to physically moving back home to live and work in Rama First Nation.

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Outside of this work, I like to write. I'm also the Vendor Coordinator for the Annual Rama Pow Wow, looking after 100+ Indigenous vendors, as well as helping with other vendor events. I spent 18 years as a long haul truck driver and have been to all US States except California and Alaska, as well every Canadian Province, except the Territories and Yukon.

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Some of the work that I've done to bring awareness of the Sixties Scoop. I am currently working with members of Rama First Nation, training professionals about the effects of Colonialism on our communities. We are currently working with CAS, Simcoe Cty School Board, and area Health Care Professionals.

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I have spoken to my community on a couple of occasions as we welcomed others home on The Day of Truth and Reconciliation. With a grant from our comunity in 2024, I was able to organize a gathering for other Sixties Scoop Survivors. I was also privileged to speak last school year to a group of principals in the Simcoe Cty School Board.

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If you, or your organization would like to learn more about the Sixties Scoop please reach out and we'd be happy to answer any questions.

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