Bay of Plenty man Jonathan Hooker and his birth mother Patsy George, moments after they were reunited in Winnipeg 50 years after Hooker was taken from her care as part of the Sixties Scoop policies of the Canadian Government between the 1950s and 1980s. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
Bay of Plenty man Jonathan Hooker and his birth mother Patsy George, moments after they were reunited in Winnipeg 50 years after Hooker was taken from her care as part of the Sixties Scoop policies of the Canadian Government between the 1950s and 1980s. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
A Mount Maunganui man has been welcomed back into the arms of his birth mother for the first time in 50 years after he was among thousands of indigenous children taken from their families in Canada in a practice known as the “Sixties Scoop”.
Jonathan Hooker, who was adopted bya New Zealand couple after his removal, this week travelled to the Canadian province of Manitoba to reunite with his biological mother Patsy George and meet extended family and members of his tribe.
Hooker and George, holding a large “Welcome Home” sign adorned with a love heart, embraced before supporters and local media at Winnipeg Richardson International Airport’s arrivals hall.
“It’s the first time I’ve actually laid eyes on my mother’s,” Hooker told CTV News.
“It’s all a little bit overwhelming to be here today, so yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
A tearful George spoke of her joy at seeing her son for the first time since authorities “took him away from me” as a baby.
“I’m happy to see my son, I thought I would never see him again.”
Mount Maunganui man Jonathan Hooker and his birth mother Patsy George embrace after they were reunited in Winnipeg this week. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
Hooker is Mosakahiken Cree Nation, also known as Moose Lake, in northern Manitoba.
He was 18 months old when he was taken from his birth family in Moose Lake First Nation in 1975, among an estimated 30,000 indigenous children removed – or “scooped” – from their homes over several decades under Government policies, CTV News reported.
Jonathan Hooker was 18 months old when he was taken from his birth family. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
They were then placed in non-indigenous homes in Canada and around the world in a practice that became known as the “Sixties Scoop”.
He’d only heard about the practice five years ago and only learned “how it all played out” in the last year, said Hooker.
Jonathan Hooker says he knows nothing about his indigenous heritage and is keen to learn about it. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
He’d previously returned to Canada but only found his birth family after an ancestry test given to him by his mother-in-law revealed a half-sister in Texas and an uncle.
He was given a great life by his adopted family, but always felt something was missing, Hooker told Winnipeg CityNews.
“I know nothing about my indigenous heritage, so it will be good to start learning and filling in some of the blanks.”
After the airport reunion, Hooker and wife Charmaine Flynn-Hooker planned to travel to Moose Lake First Nation for a few weeks.
Jonathan Hooker and his birth mother Patsy George moments after they were reunited 50 years after he was taken from her care. Photo / Screengrab via CTV News
The father hoped his story would inspire others seeking answers about their past, Hooker told CTV News.
“Hopefully somebody else again will see this and hopefully maybe start looking for their family or give them the clues to reach out and help.”
Cherie Howie is an Auckland-based reporter who joined the Herald in 2011. She has been a journalist for more than 20 years and specialises in general news and features.
