Lives Less Ordinary - Searching for my sister, the "keeper of memories"

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Nakuset blocked out painful memories of being removed from her indigenous Canadian family

Nakuset only goes by one name and it means "The Sun" in her indigenous Canadian culture. Born into an abusive household, her early days were difficult and it wasn't long before she and her sister Sonya were taken into care by social services. This was the 1970s, and there was a widespread policy of taking indigenous children and putting them up for adoption with white families, removing them from their culture in the process. Nakuset was adopted, her sister wasn't. It was a painful process for Nakuset, but her eventual reunion with Sonya as an adult helped her get in touch with her heritage. The two sisters became close, but sadly their respective childhood experiences had left them scarred, and the reunion didn't have a fairy-tale ending.

Presenter: Jo Fidgen
Producer: Harry Graham
Editor Munazza Khan

If you've been affected by any of the issues relating to mental health in this programme, help is available at Befrienders.org or at bbc.co.uk/actionline.

Published on Monday, 19th December 2022.

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