Blood Tribe recruits, 191st Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force, Fort Macleod, Alta.(Veterans Affairs Canada)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Indigenous Veterans

Indigenous veterans go from ‘forgotten soldiers’ to Canadian heroes

Nov 3, 2021 | 12:00 PM

The stories of the so-called “forgotten soldiers” are continuing to be told ahead of Remembrance Day.

Every major conflict Canada’s been a part of, including both World Wars, saw hundreds of Indigenous people put their lives on the line.

“They served under a flag that didn’t always protect them,” said Emile Highway, president of the Prince Albert branch of the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association.

Highway, a veteran himself, served overseas three times during his 20-year career.

This included a trip to the Middle East in the 1970s and two stints in Europe during the Cold War.

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“Our job was to basically keep the Russians out of Europe.”

During his time, he experienced a few instances of racism. However, he became close friends with the majority of his comrades.

“We’re brothers…in time of trouble, race isn’t an issue at all.”

The actions of many Indigenous soldiers are starting to be recognized.

One such individual was Tommy Prince, an Ojibwa man from Manitoba, who served in World War II and the Korean War.

In 1951, he took part in the Battle of Kapyong with his battalion being awarded the United States Presidential Unit Citation, a rare honour for non-Americans.

Other stories include Edith Anderson Monture, a woman from the Six Nations Grand River Reserve in Ontario, traveling overseas to help the sick and wounded in an American military hospital in France during World War I and Henry Louis Norwest, a Métis man from Alberta, who held a divisional sniping record of 115 fatal shots during the Great War.

“Their accomplishments are a continuing source of pride to their families, I should say our families, our communities, and to all Canadians,” added Highway.

In Prince Albert, there are between 55 to 60 members of the First Nations Veterans Association.

Highway believes there are more as many, including himself at one time, chose to keep that part of their life in the past.

Meanwhile, a ceremony will be held on November 10 at the Senator Allen Bird Memorial Centre to recognize and honour all Indigenous soldiers.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow