Leo Omani and a replica King George III medal on display at Prince Albert museum. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Indigenous Veterans

Indigenous Veterans Day: The Dakota people and the War of 1812

Nov 8, 2022 | 1:02 PM

Nov. 8 is Indigenous Veterans day and it’s safe to say Canada would look a lot different today if it wasn’t for these heroes.

Around 10,000 Indigenous warriors helped Britain fend off the Americans during the War of 1812.

According to Leo Omani, former chief of the Wahpeton Dakota Nation, his people took up the cause to honour the treaties they signed with Britain, ensuring they wouldn’t lose any of their lands.

“All of our seven bloodlines held territory for the British Crown from Mississippi, [to the] West,” Omani said. “We did not lose one inch.”

He added they also pushed Americans away from their territory and into Massachusetts, while also taking over Fort Snelling in Minnesota for several months.

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One of the more noteworthy stories from this time was that of Chief Flying Thunder, an ancestor of the Wahpeton Dakota Nation. During a battle, a British officer was shot, and it was the chief who saved him, Omani said.

“He took him off the battlefield and our group helped heal that person,” he said.

This act caught the attention of the British as Chief Flying Thunder and his people were given a King George III medal. Omani claims this is the only one left in Canada.

A replica of the King George III medal on display at Prince Albert museum. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

In 2012, Wahpeton Dakota Nation received a bicentennial in recognition of the work their people did during the war.

Neither medal is on the First Nation, out of fear of them being stolen. Instead, they’re in a safe location in Prince Albert.

While Canada is what it is today, the Dakota people’s land is not.

Before the War of 1812, the Dakota territory expanded all the way down to parts of Louisiana.

A map of Dakota people’s land from the book ‘The Story of the Dakota Oyate in Canada’. (Jaryn Vecchio/paNOW Staff)

A lot of the Dakota land was included in the Louisiana Purchase which saw the Americans purchase territory from Napoleon and the French.

The Dakota people’s land was officially split between Canada and the U.S. when Britain and the Americans officially recognized the 49^th parallel decades later.

“We did a favour for Canada, we saved Canada… yet (Britain) gave it up,” Omani said, explaining many of the Dakota people felt betrayed.

Meanwhile, Omani said this story is one of his favourites to share with the younger generations, adding they’re just as intrigued.

“They’re learning their heritage. We’re proud of them,” he said.

Remembrance Day

An outdoor ceremony is being planned for Remembrance Day in Prince Albert where people can honour Indigenous veterans.

The ceremony will begin at 10:55 a.m. on Nov. 11 at Memorial Square with the marching in of the colours followed by the last post and a minute of silence. They will then read the honour roll followed by the act of remembrance. The ceremony will end with the closing prayer and the marching off of the colours.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow