Fort William First Nation marks Remembrance Day at Anemki Wajiw in northwestern Ontario

More than 100 people ascended Anemki Wajiw on Saturday morning to honour First Nations soldiers and veterans who have and continue to serve their communities.

Fort William First Nation's annual Remembrance Day ceremony on the mountain, known as Mount McKay, began nearly 30 years ago. It was started by Frank Banning, a veteran of the Second World War who served with the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment.

Now, the Banning family carries on the tradition in his memory.

"It was really medicinal for my dad to have the Remembrance Day service. It helped him deal with his PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) and it helped him remember all of the comrades that he was with overseas, some of them his best friends," said Frank Banning's daughter, Catherine Banning.

Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that more than 4,000 Indigenous people served in the First World War and more than 3,000 First Nations members, plus an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, served in the Second World War. There were also several hundred Indigenous people who served Canada during the Korean War.

Dozens of wreaths adorned with red poppies and purple ribbons were laid around Fort William First Nation's cenotaph on Saturday in recognition of local soldiers' contributions.

"It's an honour that we're able to have this service on our mountain in our way with the traditional drumming as well as some of the traditional regimental military service," Catherine Banning said.

"It's particularly important for children to witness the ceremony, witness the respect shown to veterans, so that they can carry on with that respect and hopefully come to a day when there [are] no more wars and we can live in peace all together."

Remembrance Day ceremonies were also held at the Fort William Gardens, Waverly Park and the Slovak Legion in Thunder Bay.

Passing on the knowledge

Wyatt Enman, 10, laid down a wreath at Fort William First Nation's cenotaph on behalf of the 6th St. Thomas Scout Group. He said he's proud of his uncle, who has served in the Canadian military for the past 30 years and has done numerous tours overseas.

"My family immigrated originally from the Netherlands after World War II, so they were people who were impacted by that," said Wyatt's mother, Ashley Jellema. "We work really hard to support truth and reconciliation as well as a family and recognize Indigenous veterans who may not have been recognized at the time for their service."

Attending Remembrance Day ceremonies is a tradition for many, including Lory Porter, who said she's been coming to the Anemki Wajiw service since its inception.

"It's important that we keep this memory going. We're still losing people, so it's something that should never cease," Porter said. "The kids nowadays have to learn about it and they have to learn how to respect the sacrifices that [the soldiers] all made."

Reminder of rights, freedoms

During the ceremony, there was also acknowledgement of ongoing strife, including the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

"In light of what's going on in the world today with all the war, it's really extra important to me especially to honour all our veterans who have not come home and those who have come home and suffered from different ailments [like] PTSD," said Janet Banning. 

For those with veterans in their families, it's not always easy to broach the subject of war. Lucille Atlookan said her great-great-grandfather served in the war and while her family didn't talk about it much, it's important to her to honour him and other Indigenous veterans who continue to fight for her people's rights.

While Nov. 11 is a time for remembrance, it's also a time for reflection. For Andrew Woods, the day is a reminder of the rights and freedoms that shouldn't be taken for granted.

"When push comes to shove, sometimes you have to shove back, and that's the cost of what we enjoy today. People get hurt in the process and it's important to remember that and honour their sacrifice," Woods said.