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Remembrance Day: Indigenous Veterans Treated Unfairly

During the many conflicts in which our soldiers stood proud, they were among the thousands who wore the uniform of the Canadian Army.

More than 10,000 Native American veterans came to the rescue in the War of 1812, 7,000 fought in the World Wars, and hundreds fought in the Korean War. Many others have participated in modern warfare, such as the Gulf and Afghanistan.

Despite these contributions, indigenous peoples in the military have not always been treated fairly. and Indigenous Veterans Day, first enacted in 1994, the federal apology and compensation package for First Nations veterans in 2003, and the federal 2019 federal apology for World War II Metis veterans. It was only recently that they were properly recognized in an apology and compensation package by . .

To mark the anniversary, two Indigenous veterans shared their experiences and what service means to them at Star.

Brian Black, Director of Local Government Strategy, Metis Nation, Ontario

Gulf War veteran Brian Black treasures a photograph of the sun rising over the National Metis Veterans Memorial in Batoche, Sask. In the photo, morning light falls on a stone engraved with the names of his 5,000 Métis veterans who served in Canada. The two Metis infinity flags symbolize the immortality of their people and the fusion of his two vibrant cultures, European and indigenous.

Black takes pride in the contributions Metis and other Indigenous veterans made during their military service. “Canada recognized that indigenous peoples were great warriors and actively sought their participation in the war,” he says. “We fought in a fearless way, with distinction and courage.”

Black evokes the story of Tommy Prince, a World War II and Korean War veteran from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation. “He was very highly regarded among his fellow soldiers, but when he got home he was just sidelined. Black says he didn’t have the same experience, but many Indigenous veterans before him, like their non-Indigenous peers, were paid for farming, schooling, and tuition. , admits that they were not given the same land allocation for health care for their medical needs.

That’s why the 2019 federal apology, acknowledging and providing compensation for the Metis’ World War II veterans’ sacrifice, was important to the community. It’s about missing an opportunity that could have been given the same benefits.”

Melvin Hardy “Zhoongizi”, 2nd Regiment Canadian Horse Artillery Veteran, Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief, Anisinabec Nation

Melvin Hardy was 19 years old when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a paratrooper from 1979 to 1989, training in Norway and helping communities in crisis. Now 63, he has used his experience so far to become a leader of the Anisinabec tribe in Ontario’s Great Lakes region.

Hardy says it felt “very foreign” to enter the service and recalls constant discrimination. When he first arrived in the army, military barbers shaved half his head, went out for coffee, and made him stare at himself in the mirror. I was calling,” Hardy says. “I was constantly said derogatory things to… even when we got to know people and build relationships.”

Hardy, who eventually returned to his home in Biinjitiwabik Zaagin Anishinaabek after his father’s death, felt almost like a “stranger back in the reserve.”

“My relationship with my brothers and sisters, my relationship with my immediate family has been completely destroyed.”

Hardy felt like an “outsider at home” and moved to Thunder Bay and then Toronto for 13 years. while dealing with the mental and physical trauma he endured in the military. Today, he is still recovering, but he is hesitant to apply for help from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

“When we went to serve, we had a vision of becoming part of Canada, so we did it out of goodwill in our hearts — to be able to participate in such an effort. Through that process, we realized that we were treated differently.”

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Remembrance Day: Indigenous Veterans Treated Unfairly

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