Anishinaabe war hero Sgt. Tommy Prince honoured at Winnipeg community centre
Rachel Bergen | CBC News | Posted: February 17, 2023 11:54 PM | Last Updated: February 17, 2023
'It's important that we keep his spirit alive': Brokenhead Chief Gordon Bluesky
The City of Winnipeg unveiled a display Friday in a Dufferin neighbourhood community centre that honours the First Nations war hero the building is named after.
Visitors to Sergeant Tommy Prince Place on Sinclair Street and Dufferin Avenue can see a series of interpretive displays depicting every stage of the decorated Anishinaabe soldier's life.
"It's important for everyone to understand what he did for his country and for his people," Prince's son, Tommy Prince Jr., said at the unveiling on Friday.
The displays, an initiative of the municipal government, tell the story of how Prince was uprooted from his home on Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, about 65 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, sent to Elkhorn Residential School in western Manitoba, and showing bravery on the battlefield during the Second World War and the Korean War.
The displays also show the challenges Prince faced during his later life, when he endured the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and racism even as he advocated to abolish the Indian Act, and promoted other initiatives to empower Indigenous people.
Brokenhead Chief Gordon Bluesky said at the unveiling that, although it's an honour to speak about a hero from his community, it highlights that the systemic issues that plagued Prince and ultimately led to his death continue to claim lives.
"We still have homelessness, we still have women and children who are scared … It's important that we keep his spirit alive," Bluesky said.
The display was initially recommended by Winnipeg's Indigenous relations division in a report to city council's executive policy committee in November of 2021.
Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said he hopes the displays help people in the city learn more about Prince's contributions to society and move those efforts forward.
"There's so much work yet to do to fulfil the principles Mr. Prince fought for on the battlefield and in Parliament," he said.
"Acknowledging Indigenous heroes and community builders like Sgt. Tommy Prince is just one small but very important step in our city's commitment to journey together and to journey forward in reconciliation."
Gillingham hopes everyone, especially those who live in the North End and make use of the community centre, are inspired by Prince's influence.
Prince Jr. says his father's legacy is one he tries to follow: "Try to move forward, try to make the proper steps in society, and fight for our people," he said.
This display comes after Canada Post unveiled a new stamp honouring Prince in October.