Bookends with Mattea Roach

← Bookends with Mattea Roach28 okt · 19 min

Her mother was stolen. What does that mean for her?

Her mother was stolen. What does that mean for her?28 okt19 min

Jenna Timmons-Oikawa is the winner of the 2026 CBC Nonfiction Prize. Her piece, Wawa Indian, was inspired by the discovery that her mother was taken in the Sixties Scoop. This was a government practice in Canada from the 1960s to 1980s that removed Indigenous children from their homes and placed them in foster homes or put them up for adoption with predominantly white families. In today's episode, the Ottawa-based writer speaks with Mattea Roach about themes of stolen heritage, reclamation and renewal that she explores in her winning story.

You can read Jenna's story here.

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