By Caitlin Brezinski

Ceremony recognizes First Nations soldiers

Nov 12, 2014 | 5:39 AM

First Nations soldiers were recognized at a Remembrance Day service held on Monday at the Senator Allan Bird Memorial Centre in Prince Albert. 

Drummers performed victory, honour, and soldier songs for the veterans as part of the ceremony.  Chiefs and executives representing the Prince Albert Grand Council and an executive member from Meadow Lake Tribal Council were present and the City of Prince Albert was represented by Coun. Don Cody. 

Veteran and former Grand Chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) Lawrence Joseph was the MC for the event and said about 30-50 veterans came from all over the province to be a part of the service.  He said veterans wanted the Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) to expand out from Prince Albert to other comrades. 

“Sometimes we have people who are non-First Nations who do show up to celebrate and also remember with their comrades,” Joseph said. 

Joseph said he felt blessed to see many special guests at the ceremony, including one of the oldest -serving veterans who served in the First World War and Carmen Bear from the Royal Canadian Air Force.  Two of their bishops also offered prayers at the ceremony.  

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“You could just see the camaraderie that was there and you could just see the pain that was still there in their hearts,” he said. 

Joseph said the ceremony was also a chance to draw attention to current issues for First Nations veterans.  He said returning veterans who are treaty status are still fighting for what the others never got.

“Settlements have been made through non-First Nations veterans in the areas of land grants and other benefits that veterans do have and continue to have and the First Nations veterans seem to have been overlooked,” he said. 

He said families of deceased First Nations veterans are also still working to get benefits that others have received. 

“Even while they were serving … the army or the services send money to their families.  The First Nations veterans never received that,” he said.

He said First Nations veterans are very important, but are still not being recognized as equals in Canada. 

“It’s still putting a blind eye to the realities that existed then and continue to exist today,” he said. “First Nations people put on the uniform to defend their country and all of the wars in the past and continue to do that. More First Nations people continue to do that than any other segment of society.”

Joseph said something he wants to make sure people continue to hear is that First Nations veterans didn’t have to go to war.   

“They were not subject to conscription under treaty.  That’s one of the promises that were given to us under treaty,” he said.  “We remember people who didn’t have to go to war, who didn’t have to put their uniforms on, go and die for this country, did so.”

Joseph said it is a great thing for the city of Prince Albert to bring back memories for First Nations people and veterans because they are sometimes forgotten. 

“In many ways they served, they fell, they bled,” he said.  “Families like that continue to hurt but sometimes I think society tends to look down at this, and it’s just not right, it’s not fair, but they will continue to fight.”

-With files from Kayla Bruch

news@panow.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow