By Kellah Lavoie

Métis veterans recognized at Back to Batoche

Jul 23, 2011 | 8:00 PM

BATOCHE – David Chartrand, Métis National Council minister responsible for veterans, hands a plaque to a veteran. It was part of the Métis Veterans Commemorative Ceremony at the Batoche National Historic Site as part of Back to Batoche festival.

A bus load of veterans arrived at the site, where dignitaries spoke about how the men and women served Canada, and how they were treated afterwards.

Chartrand thanked them for all they have done and for helping to give all Canadians freedom.

Many who landed were never coming home, he said, adding some of the soldiers joined when they were only 17-years-old.

“They were proud of something when they got home,” he said.

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“When they came home there was nothing for them, they thought there would be great wide-spread open arms, but there was nothing.”

He said they fell in the middle, between Caucasian and First Nations – it left them with nowhere to go, except back to the trap line.

Many of them were left without psychological support to help them deal with what they saw, Chartrand said.

Lennard Morin, Métis Nations of Saskatchewan Minister of Veterans Affairs, had three uncles enlist. One didn’t return home from the Second World War and was buried in Europe.

It is one of the reasons building a monument to recognize Métis veterans is so important to him. The monument will stand on Batoche grounds, but they need to finish raising the money first.

It will cost $250,000, he said.

“When we started this we had $0, we have $70,000 now, so we are slowly getting there,” Morin said.

Today the federal government pledged another $50,000 for the monument.

Morin raised the importance of the contributions the veterans made.

“Our Métis veterans enlisted and they used whatever means they had to serve their country, so they could make a living and support their families,” he said.

“They left behind families and communities.”

Morin said they hope to raise the rest of the money for this time next year.

klavoie@panow.com