Remembering, reflecting on Indigenous veteran contributions

• Remembering Indigenous soldiers
• Keeping their stories of service alive
• Family members of veterans in attendance

Westbank First Nation (WFN) held their National Aboriginal Veterans Day celebration to remember Indigenous veterans who served Canada in war.

The day started in Manitoba in 1994 and has grown to be a national day of significance.

“It’s of the utmost importance,” WFN council member Jordan Coble told Kelowna10.

“The fact that a lot of those folks didn’t just sacrifice their lives, they sacrificed their identities as status Indians. When they came home they were enfranchised and no longer were recognized as status Indians."

Coble said the day should also recognize ongoing important issues.

“All the violence and defending that takes place today isn’t always by our military men and women, they’re also from our nation members,” he said. “They’re fighting for our rights and freedoms, our natural resources and our languages.”

Cpt. Joshua Trowsse-Freeman, who's served with the British Columbia Dragoons for the last 13 years, is from the Driftpile Cree Nation. He said many stories from the past are being lost and hopes people will refamiliarize themselves about what Indigenous men and women did for the country.

“The fact we’re able to respect Indigenous people specifically for their war contribution is massive,” he said. “It’s important to me also to instill the pride back into Indigenous people and children to understand what their ancestors have done before them and how much bravery there was in the past.”

Some members in attendance had family who served in the world wars, including Dinah Littlechief, whose uncle Joe Sandy served in the Second World War. She is grateful to see the community come out and remember.

“It filled my heart to see everybody here, if it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be surviving as we are right now,” Littlechief said.

“It’s a living day for everybody. If it wasn’t for the veterans, we wouldn’t be here. It’s a joyful day for everybody and to the veterans, thank you.”

Nearly three per cent of people in the Canadian Armed forces have Indigenous ancestry. More than 2,500 Indigenous people are currently serving.