A Day to Remember

In the First World War (1914-1918), more than 4,000 First Nations individuals served in uniform, while the number of Métis and Inuit soldiers is unknown because the military official records did not have separate Indigenous categories. Instead, the Canadian military categorized soldiers using only two rigid background classifications: 1) Treaty Indians (First Nations), or 2) European ethnicities. Moreover, military paperwork regularly masked or omitted Indigenous identity, therefore the number of recorded First Nations veterans is most likely an undercount. This omission of Indigenous Veteran history extends across the Second World War and the Korean War.

While most military enrolment documents did not have a Métis category, many Métis individuals have been recognized for their brave and valiant service working as snipers, scouts, nurses, soldiers, translators, and more. Examples of notable Métis veterans include Henry Louis Norwest, a sniper from Alberta who served in the Canadian Corps during WW1, Louis Philippe Riel, a great-nephew of Louis Riel who also served as a WW1 sniper, and Lloyd Hamilton, a Korean War veteran and great-grandson of Gabriel Dumont who rescued 80 children from an orphanage trapped in the Korean Demilitarized Zone. These men offer only a small glimpse into the contributions and sacrifices Indigenous individuals have given for Canadian freedom.

Today, we honour the Indigenous veterans who served and returned home to severe systemic discrimination, loss of rights, and a lack of resources. We remember their legacies and recognize our responsibility in ensuring they are never forgotten.