Finding Cleo: How a CBC podcast solved the mystery of a missing Indigenous girl 

This simply breaks my heart. I will be teaching the Finding Cleo podcast to my grade 12 English class next semester. Thank you for sharing this video 🙏

This has just shattered me. Cleo was so young but she was so smart and it’s absolutely disgusting and DEVASTATING that she was so HURT, missing her family, felt lost, felt so alone, let down, betrayed, frustrated, angry and confused. So much that she felt her only way was to end her life to escape all the hurt. This is a TRAGEDY that NEVER should have happened. My heart goes out to her and her poor family. I can’t even fathom how alone she must have felt....... completely shattered 😔😭

This is the legacy of 'Indian adoption' in the United States and Canada

This is horrible , this child wanted to be with her people. She should be laid to rest on the res. With her people. My Heart goes out to her family.

I'm a 60's scoop adoptee. I also grew up ashamed of my own people, myself. I don't have an identity.

This is an excellent series as heartbreaking as it is. I am glad the family has the answers they were searching for. Great work, excellent investigative reporting. I hope the family finds some peace and healing.

Just happy you found out the truth instead of wondering what happened 😭

I’m glad you found her!!

Breaks my heart, my Brother has been missing since 2012.

😭😭😭.My daughter struggles with depression and suicidal ideation I can’t imagine their pain to lose her twice.

Shame on the Canadian government!

Residential schools also destroyed the indigenous people.

This is so sad but it also makes me mad that this happened to begin with and that the government said it was a “success”. I’m glad her family and sister got this opportunity at the very least

This is heartbreaking! I have tried to type a comment but no words. Devastating!

R.I.P. CLEO YOU ARE WITH THE ANCESTORS

they had books with pictures of indigenous kids so these white families could just pick a kid out of a catalog like its a sears catalog and you're picking out curtains that's beyond sick. They been looking after their kids way before the white man came along they had generation after generation so obviously they were doing something right everywhere the white man settle the way they lived had to be the standard for everyone like they were the end all be all, but all they left in their wake was bloodshed, tears, pain, split families, disease, and a whole lot more I can go on for days

I remember listening to this podcast and getting goosebumps is just heartbreaking.

its called "The 60's scoop" it happened all the way thru the 70's too, it happened to my family members, they were taken when they were small and adopted out to families in the U.S. They eventually made there way back home to Canada but 1 was incarcerated in the US and spent most of his life in prison.

Thank you for sharing these stories. The past can help the future.

omg I feel so sad for your loss The mcfd tried to take all my kids away too! you know it almost felt like it was the second time , especially when I hear that I wasn't the only one!

I am so sorry for your loss . Im glad that you are healing through this pain. The government was so wrong on all levels. There is a special place in my heart for you and your people. I have a grandson that was taken from us by the government. All though we are white. That doesn't matter what matter's is they take children out of the lives of the REAL FAMILIES. It is sick and unforgiving. Its it something I had to give to GOD because it has been to much to bear. I'm praying that he's safe and loved that's all that I'm able to do at this time. I'm glad you found your sister. May God be with you forever and always.

Thank your for posting this. 👨‍👩‍👧 Family is precious. Glad they reconnected, even though Cleo had passed.

I just listened to the podcast and this was so heartbreaking. I'm so sorry to hear what happened to this family and so many others. CLeo sounds like a wonderful girl who just wanted to go home. She has brought loved ones together thru their search for her which is a positive out of this tragic story.

Breaks my heart sorry for your 🥺 sending love and prayers your way 🙏🏽♥️

Now seeing these videos.... Omg what is wrong with mankind... This is sickening and heart breaking.

I *still* don't understand *WHY* she was taken away from her grandmother. Can someone *please explain???*

Awe so sad, my heart breaks for this family.....

That is so wrong from the government! It is sad how not only they took away their lands and customs, but they when ahead and took their children too?!!! People in USA should learn that this people are the originals owners and Americans of USA! They are the TRUE FOUNDER FATHERS OF USA and should be part of the history books 😡 My respects for the founders of this land.

It's even worse when they take children when there very young they steal there identity

Oh my goodness this has mixed emotions! So happy Cleo's sister her awnsers, but I am truly sorry for loss. My name is Judy from Washington State. Sending you hugs 🤗🤗❣️

Thus poor baby! God bless your soul baby girl I'm so sorry for what you went through in this life.

U do beautiful work , Christine !

Far too many stories like this. Heart breaking.

That business of feeling ashamed of your own people has also been true for those who grew up in religions that separated us from our larger families--as in Jehovah's Witnesses. What a sick country Canada has been and continues to be to this day. I am so glad they found her. I don't look forward to the whole podcast series, but am compelled to. Such important work Thank you.

What happened to her mother that the child ended up w/grandmother?

"Social Services" or "Inhuman Aggressions against indigenous peoples".

So sad :( brakes my heart so much.

Why were all these children taken by social services and adopted in the first place? Genuinely asking, I’m not from the US/Canada and don’t know anything about these issues

Heartbreaking 💔 there's nothing else that will be satisfying to know some type of compensation is made to her biological parents brothers sisters and community 💔💙 these children didn't have to live needless deaths

“I was afraid of my own people for a long time, and I was ashamed of my own people for a long time” God that is awful 😢

How could my country do this to so many innocent children for so long Thousands of care givers along the decades must have seen the harm this was doing to the children. How could my beloved Canada be so cruel for so long??? To survivors, I SEE YOU I HEAR YOU I BELIEVE YOU and I am so very very sorry for the harm this has caused you

Heartbreaking in every way 💔. Hope the sister was able to have some closure💗

Thank the government for this tragedy

This is disgusting and it makes me cry. Those poor babies.

Heartbreaking

My blessings to the family and friends 💕💕💕💕💕🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💕💕💞

So sad. But im glad her family has the truth and closure finally.

God bless Cleo and her family.

My condolences 🙏💔❤✊✨❤

RIP SWEET BABY🙏

Absolutely heart wrenching. Beautiful beautiful girl. What have we done? Tho my son's are members of the Cherokee tribe, I am ashamed of the arrogance and lack of compassion running through my white ancestors' veins.

Did not say why children were taken away from mother. why couldn't an aunt/uncle/grandmother take in the kids to keep them together? Why was there an automatic adoption? Couldn't social services work with the mother to turn her life around?

This is exactly why it’s so important for social workers to understand different cultures. CPS has zero accountability to realize that the way that middle class social worker lives isn’t the way other cultures live. Many times social workers remove kids because they disagree with the way the kids are raised based on perception of what life “should” be

RIP SWEET ANGEL 🙏

Sad 😢

Why aren’t these children being monitored in these families some could be great but there have to be some that have other motives which is evil. Government to blame?

Its very sad,shame I saw a video of an Ethiopian child who crochets and all I picked up from him was his want maybe to be home ,he was chrocheting to support" poor Ethiopians "he said something to this effect, he seems almost nervous in behavior or desperate, I can't image how horrible such an experience must be to go through,sometimes people " good "motives turn out to be so terrible, money is not a solution to problems if mothers/families could be supported to raise their own it would be better than adoption ,

So many broken family's and shame

This happened so much. Still haven't found my father's and uncles mother. My oldest uncle of my father Adopted from another family), hung himself because he was so sad as an adult.

Unbelieveable what the govnt is capable of. Lost for words. Im saddened by this story.

❤️🙏

🌹😢

Cleo like her siblings weren't separated from their birth mother, their mother voluntarily gave them up after years of neglect and abandonment. During those years there wasn't anyone from Lilian's family, aunts, uncles, grandparent or anyone from Little Pine who stepped up and took responsibility for those poor children. Connie Walker did a great job on this podcast and I hope she continues to tell these stories in a detailed and comprehensive way. We don't often get to hear these stories beyond the headlines and soundbites. I can understand Christine's perspective and feeling that she was robbed from the opportunity of growing up with her siblings and her biological mother, but it wasn't the Canadian government who abandoned her, it was Lilian first and foremost, and secondly Lilia's extended family who must have been aware but didn't step up. Johnny is really the only one in the podcast who was old enough to realize this.

This is horrendous

It's so important for families to get along. Parents need to stay together because once the bio father is detached anything can happen.and that's not to put blame on the mother no it's on the father. So men strongly consider to lead your family as a disciple of Christ and keep your family close

USA🇺🇸, CANADA🇨🇦, SOUTH AFRICA🇿🇦, AUSTRALIA🇳🇿 AND NOW PALESTINE🇵🇸 & Xinjiang🏳! Apart from supporting these first nations indigenous people, Please stand with those indigenious who are being colonised and oppressed today!

💔💔💔

So sad

When I saw chloe picture she looks like my picture when I was a kid. But Im saddened that they lost them.

💔

and still their voices aren't heard..

Pure Evil !! Why the hell were they allowed to steal children with no repercussions and prosecution ?!

🙏🙏🙏❤️❤️❤️❤️🌹🌹🌹

Hi

This happens all over turtle island to our indigenous peoples , I just wish everyone had the opportunity to see that our people are targeted the most here..

Colonization never stops

Poor child. My heart aches for her. I’m so ashamed of this legacy.

AIM, what a scandalous history

Precious face. Heartbreaking story long before she was taken. Shocking and disgusting.

Many look like Metis rather then Inuits And First Nations.

I did not realize some of the History of my own government doings to humans and to people its saddens me the very people we are suppose to trust are those who cause use the most harm we vote these people in thinking they have are lives in the best interest and soon find out that is not always the case . I pray that one day this will change that we all get what we were promised . People who care who treat use all as we are Humans and the spirits god has made use . I can't imagine how it feels to be just taken from your family your roots from your homes . Its wrong and we as all people need to check are History long and hard with in are government to make sure these same people do not get a chance to make the same mistakes over and over again . I want to believe that as people most is the good that makes are world go round . But the more I look into the history I just see that the same mistakes are made over and over again . I 've been looking into the history of native wemon I see clearly there is a problem and we need as wemon every were to make sure we protect one another . So many young girls just gone just missing well people don't vanish bad takes them and unless we find the bad and change it more young wemon will be in danger . Its up setting I do believe that this can stop we all can do something about it . There is drugs achocial and bad every were . Just because someone has a addiction dose not mean they are not worthy of good lives or life at all . No one has the right to harm any one . I think about my children and I think about how mothers on the reservations must feel . I think in the world we are made to live in right now its scary we are all at risk from child trafficking from are kids being victims and are family's not being safe . In are foster care system we have millions of missing children and no one is looking for them . We have people suffering every day and I see these family's going to the end of earth and time searching for just a answer to were there loved ones are . As a mother its a tear for each family who don't know . I'm a soul that believes we can change it but we as people as the good in this world have to fight for are rights to live with safety and for are kids to be safe . For the native Americans that I have as friends and family I have learned lots the bond between them is stronger then most ethnic groups The good with in community's and the family's will stand strong as one to save there people . I don't know what would make any person let alone a government appointed person by we the people think they have the right to ignore the missing wemon and young girls but not on my life my time or my heart My voice will be loud it will be proud and it will make sure we as people have justice and the trafficked young children in are world we will protect them . In these community's we need to start by education for all and we need to build a work force for these young wemon instead of sending are jobs other places . We need to show are young wemon we are much more . If in these comnmuitys there is out lets for the young children to succeed and have jobs and homes . They don't have the right to run use down because we have been left behind . These young wemon need to have outlets that make it so they are not put in harms way . To me I think of a reservation as being a town a place that should have all the equal value of any community . I think its like every were right now you get people who get power over those who they want to weeken and we as wemon need to step up and say enough we will fight back to save are young and are futures for are children . God bless I will keep speaking out to make sure those who are missing are being found and that it stops . And to the family's searching you are one voice of every family looking for the lost . They are some were as people we will find them we won't stop ever .

Christmas can be so sad ..... so it was in 1978.

They seem to by their own people?

To the government of that time.

Hmm. Why she took her own life ?

Adoption of a different kind is not ok. Should be illegal in fact.

🤮🤑

Rights How can we talk about equality when ALL women NOT only indiginius are disrespect on a daily basis for 50+yrs & no diff today but on surfacees only From all country and our Cdn all 3levels of government to every board room dusrespect is almost high 5’d by men in these positions! When they put down a supposedly equal woman on same board! Is tolerated n meeting goes on! Why? Yes even seen by myself @Wpg city Hall etc. A problem we talk as if it has been resolved & it has not!! This is even obvious In my own senior 55+ housing - as I & other women on board witnessed in silence bulling from the men on the board who see this inappropriate treatment from mgmnt & their employee A disrespect in board room is unacceptable by other board members but from Mgmnt too?! So HOW can we expect any respect to be given to ALL women nevermind expect it to our aboriginal women who have had the worst of it for 50+ yrs is not ok but tolerated and is a serious “women” ‘females’ our ‘girls’ mothers sisters n daughters !

Sad this 🌎 full of evil doing. 😪😪

This is your land

I knew someone whom was to be adopted in a white family,but returned back to the birth family Wich really didn't want the child. The outcome was disastrous in so many ways,all white families aren't bad ,A life was destroyed.

Shame on Canada

Disgusting.

wtf

Jews participated in this program too!

Why were the mothers okay with giving up their children for adoption? Were they on drugs or neglectful? I don’t understand how they’re not explaining this right off the bat

Oh no. Suicide is a grave sin. Never do it.