Indigenous Veterans Day

Today I want to acknowledge our Indigenous veterans, those that are still with us, that are active in service and those that we have lost, whether naturally or through the ultimate sacrifice.

I appreciate that the Canadian Armed Forces has made a recent apology for the systemic racism and racial discrimination that’s lived within the military. I love that the Province of Manitoba passed Bill 210, which officially enshrines Indigenous Veterans Day into legislation.

Today is not just about remembering the lives that were lost, but also the true history of what our people lost in order to serve and how they were treated when they returned. Indigenous people had to give up their status to go to the front lines.

Upon return, the Soldier Settlement Act and the Veteran Land Act weren’t commonly available to our people returning from the war like it was for their non-Indigenous counter parts. So today, let’s honour our Indigenous Veterans, loud, proud, and with the utmost respect for the unwavering role that they play in our current, past, present and absolutely into our future.