Indigenous Veterans Day honours unique history and sacrifice in Manitoba

Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School principal Garry Swampy says the war veterans he grew up with were cherished elders and strong role models who made many contributions to the community.

"A lot of us knew them growing up, as children, and we seen them grow old and also, some of them shared their stories, so it really meant a lot to us, the sacrifices they made, and we want to honour them for that," Swampy said.

Every year in November, the school honours Sagkeeng veterans by holding services, displaying over 100 banner tributes with photos of veterans made by students from the community around Sagkeeng First Nation, and digital gestures of pride through social media.

"Everything's community, you know," Swampy said. "Council members give us information, community members give us information. We just compile it.

"And every year, we have a nice service at our school and also in our community, and we're part of it as well."

Since the pandemic, the school has expanded their Remembrance Day and Indigenous Veterans Day ceremonies to include a video that showcases Sagkeeng First Nation member veterans through a slideshow of their names, photos and where they served.

This year's Sagkeeng Veteran Roll Call video, posted to the Sagkeeng education authority Facebook page, highlights over 50 Sagkeeng First Nation veterans. 

The yearly videos, some previously posted to YouTube, have been seen by Sagkeeng members who did not grow up in the First Nation because they were taken during the Sixties Scoop, when the government took Indigenous children from their homes and placed them in foster homes or put them up for adoption into non-Indigenous families.

"Now they're coming forward after seeing this video," Swampy said.

"Even if they were taken when they were born here, they were from here. So now they're coming home."

A Remembrance Day service is being held in the community at the Roman Catholic Church on Monday.

The school will hold a service on Indigenous Veterans Day on Friday.

Distinct history and sacrifice

Indigenous Veterans Day was first established in 1993 by the National Aboriginal Veterans Association on Nov. 8. The day honours the thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit who served in the Canadian Armed Forces.

"The day was created in response to Aboriginal Veterans Association being unable, not allowed, to place a wreath at the national remembrance ceremony,"  said Justin Woodcock, a veteran and First Nation veteran co-ordinator for the Southern Chiefs' Organization.

When Woodcock talks to people about Indigenous Veterans Day, there are still questions about why First Nation veterans would need their own day, and he tells them it's because of the distinct history, sacrifices and experiences of Indigenous veterans.

"I faced many challenges serving in the Forces in regards to discrimination and racist comments, so I know some of those old ideas still exist," Woodcock said.

A Canadian Armed Forces report in 2016 said members of an advisory panel found systemic racism and discrimination against Indigenous soldiers in the military. In April 2022, a report with similar findings said racism was still prevalent within the Canadian Armed Forces.

Woodcock sees a lot of change happening within the Canadian Forces when it comes to representing and supporting Indigenous veterans. For example, the military base in Winnipeg now holds sweats that are open to veterans from all backgrounds in order to better support Indigenous veterans with culturally specific forms of healing.

"The Canadian Forces lifted me out of poverty and gave me a sense of pride, discipline and a sense of how to be in a code and a strong code of ethics that I've continued to use to this day," Woodcock said.

"It's progressively working towards reconciliation with First Nations people, and I've seen first-hand, as a First Nation veteran, the changes that have happened, and it warms my heart."

Other Indigenous people who may not agree with Indigenous people fighting for a country with a history of colonization have a right to their own views and should be respected, he said.

"It's important not to think of Indigenous people in that, like, pan-Indigenous view. That's why many veterans fought in the conflicts that they did, was to preserve our right to have our own opinions and our freedom," Woodcock said.

"First Nations people have a proud history of being warriors and protecting the land," he said.

"We can continue to do so."

As of 2021, there were 23,075 Indigenous veterans across the country, with over seven per cent in Manitoba, Statistics Canada data says.