The Canadian government has agreed to pay compensation to indigenous Canadians who were taken from their homes and adopted into non-indigenous families.

Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett announced the settlement Friday for what's called the Sixties Scoop. Bennett says some indigenous children were robbed of their cultural identities by being placed with non-native families during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

The settlement for an estimated 20,000 people is aimed at resolving numerous related lawsuits. The victims will share 750 million Canadian dollars ($596 million), with individual amounts to determined later.

Lead plaintiff Marcia Brown Martel says she taken by child welfare officials and adopted by a non-native family. She called it the stealing of children and their culture and expressed hope it would never happen again.