Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Federal leaders remember sacrifices, injustices endured by Indigenous veterans

Share
Ottawa -

Federal leaders marked the sacrifices of Indigenous veterans on Monday, as well as the discrimination they faced after returning from war.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all flags on federal government buildings, including the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, were lowered to acknowledge the service of Indigenous veterans.

"Indigenous people who served across this country … did that facing often systems and discrimination and barriers that were greater," he said before a caucus meeting in Ottawa.

Trudeau added that he spoke with several Indigenous veterans earlier, "to talk about their experiences and mostly talk about the path forward, both for Veterans Affairs and for Indigenous peoples."

It is estimated that more than 12,000 Indigenous people joined the Canadian military during the First and Second World Wars and Korea.

More than 500 were killed and countless more injured.

Many of those who returned to Canada ended up falling through the cracks after they were denied the same benefits provided to non-Indigenous veterans, while others found out they had lost their Indian status by putting on a uniform.

While not formally recognized by the federal government, Indigenous Veterans Day has been growing in size and scope each year on Nov. 8 since it was inaugurated by Winnipeg's city council in 1994.

Conservative Leader Erin O'Toole marked the occasion by narrating a video about Tommy Prince, who became one of Canada's most decorated Indigenous soldiers while fighting in the Second World War and Korea.

Despite that record, Prince like many others was denied veterans' support and eventually became homeless before dying in 1977.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh led his caucus in honouring the sacrifices of Indigenous veterans at the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in downtown Ottawa, where they laid a wreath and roses during a short but sombre ceremony.

Singh described the treatment of those Indigenous veterans as an injustice, as he paid homage to those currently serving in uniform.

There are more than 2,500 Indigenous people currently serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, representing around 2.7 per cent of all military personnel.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2021.

IN DEPTH

Opinion

opinion

opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster

A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?

opinion

opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike

When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected