CBC Public Affairs Program Weekend Airs

April 1, 1973. Beginning as early as 1933, sterilizations were recommended by some health professionals in the North of Canada, although no legislation was in place legalizing such procedures (Stote, 2012). Many Aboriginal women were sterilized without consent, and sometimes, for non-medical reasons (Stote, 2012). Beginning in 1973, allegations of sterilizations on Aboriginal women began to surface.

In particular, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired a program, named Weekend, on April 1, 1973. The program generally aimed at providing hard news reports to the public (TV Archives, 2013), and the program of April 1st suggested that Inuit women had been sterilized in Norther Canada, in an attempt to reduce birth rates (Stote, 2012). Often, Inuit women were sterilized without consent, partly due to linguistic barriers and "the climate of paternalism" towards Aboriginal peoples (Stote, 2012, p.127). Women were often sterilized in the North, or the Charles Camsell Hospital in Alberta, Canada. The same program revealed the removal of Inuit children from their families (Stote, 2012).

The program prompted the Minister of National Health and Welfare at the time, Marc Lalonde, to protest the accusations, and to question the integrity of the journalists. Lalonde maintained that the women had provided consent to sterilization, and in fact had numerous children (Stote, 2012).

In 1976, Robert Lechat produced a series of articles claiming similar allegations - that women were sterilized in northern Aboriginal communities without knowledge or consent (Stote, 2012). An inquiry was eventually held (Stote, 2012).

-Colette Leung

CBC Public Affairs Program Weekend Airs

April 1, 1973. Beginning as early as 1933, sterilizations were recommended by some health professionals in the North of Canada, although no legislation was in place legalizing such procedures (Stote, 2012). Many Aboriginal women were sterilized without consent, and sometimes, for non-medical reasons (Stote, 2012). Beginning in 1973, allegations of sterilizations on Aboriginal women began to surface.

In particular, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation aired a program, named Weekend, on April 1, 1973. The program generally aimed at providing hard news reports to the public (TV Archives, 2013), and the program of April 1st suggested that Inuit women had been sterilized in Norther Canada, in an attempt to reduce birth rates (Stote, 2012). Often, Inuit women were sterilized without consent, partly due to linguistic barriers and "the climate of paternalism" towards Aboriginal peoples (Stote, 2012, p.127). Women were often sterilized in the North, or the Charles Camsell Hospital in Alberta, Canada. The same program revealed the removal of Inuit children from their families (Stote, 2012).

The program prompted the Minister of National Health and Welfare at the time, Marc Lalonde, to protest the accusations, and to question the integrity of the journalists. Lalonde maintained that the women had provided consent to sterilization, and in fact had numerous children (Stote, 2012).

In 1976, Robert Lechat produced a series of articles claiming similar allegations - that women were sterilized in northern Aboriginal communities without knowledge or consent (Stote, 2012). An inquiry was eventually held (Stote, 2012).

-Colette Leung