7 , ▁about ▁ 1 5 , 5 0 0 ▁Ind igen ous ▁children ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁care ▁of ▁child ▁w elf are ▁authorities , ▁an ▁estimate ▁based ▁on ▁data ▁from ▁Indian ▁and ▁Northern ▁Affairs , ▁Health ▁and ▁W elf are ▁Canada , ▁Statistics ▁Canada ▁and ▁provincial ▁depart ments ▁of ▁social ▁services . ▁They ▁represented ▁ 2 0 ▁percent ▁of ▁all ▁Canadian ▁children ▁living ▁in ▁care , ▁even ▁though ▁Ind igen ous ▁children ▁made ▁up ▁less ▁than ▁ 5 ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁child ▁population . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 3 , ▁Patrick ▁John ston , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁a ▁program ▁director ▁at ▁the ▁Canadian ▁Council ▁on ▁Social ▁Development , ▁co ined ▁the ▁term ▁" Si xt ies ▁S co op " ▁in ▁a ▁report ▁on ▁Ab original ▁child ▁w elf are . ▁His ▁research ▁found ▁that ▁Ab original ▁children ▁were ▁being ▁dis pro port ion ately ▁taken ▁into ▁the ▁child ▁w elf are ▁system . ▁ ▁John ston , ▁while ▁research ing ▁his ▁report , ▁collected ▁statistical ▁data ▁from ▁various ▁st ake hold ers ▁within ▁the ▁community , ▁including ▁different ▁levels ▁of ▁government , ▁Ab original ▁organizations ▁and ▁band ▁coun c ils . ▁He ▁got ▁the ▁idea ▁for ▁the ▁term ▁" Si xt ies ▁S co op " ▁from ▁a ▁social ▁worker ▁who ▁dis closed ▁" with ▁tears ▁in ▁her ▁eyes ▁– ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁common ▁practice ▁in ▁BC ▁in ▁the ▁mid - si xt ies ▁to ▁' s co op ' ▁from ▁their ▁moth ers ▁on ▁res erves ▁almost