On Friday morning, local leaders and members of the public gathered for National Indigenous Veterans Day at the Veterans Memorial Gardens & Interpretive Centre.

The day recognizes and remembers First Nations, Métis, and Inuit soldiers who have fought and lost their lives, and the treatment they faced after returning home.

“Northwest Alberta gave up a lot of sons and daughters; our country treated them like criminals. When they came home, they ripped them from their families, and because of the Indian Act and the Liquor Act, it was 1951 before an indigenous veteran was allowed to go into a Legion to have a beer with his comrades in arms,” said Renee Charbonneau, Veterans Memorial Gardens & Interpretive Centre project lead. 

“It was 1995 before an indigenous veteran was allowed as an individual to lay a wreath in Ottawa, Vancouver and other major centres; their sacrifice was as equal to anyone else's in the trenches, but when they came home, our government, the Indian Act, the Liquor Act and, unfortunately, citizens prejudice prevented them from being treated like every other veteran.”

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) notes that thousands of indigenous people proudly served in uniform during war years but were treated unfairly upon their return home. 

“Some of their land was taken and given to non-indigenous people as part of a program that granted farmland to returning veterans,” according to the VAC website.  

“The government typically denied this reestablishment program to indigenous veterans, and also treated them unfairly in other ways.”

It notes that many indigenous soldiers believed they would return home with increased rights as citizens. That was not the reality. 

“Often, they were denied access to full veteran benefits and support programs,” said VAC. 

Charbonneau says the day should hold a special meaning to locals.

“Remembrance has become more and more important to me, and as I learned about the soldiers of this region, it came to my mind that this region holds 10 per cent of the national killed-in-action number of indigenous soldiers,” she said. 

As Charbonneau continues her research, she believes the number could even be higher.

“We have confirmed 31 killed-in-action indigenous soldiers from northwest Alberta, and we have another 23 that we are working on their research,” she said.

She said statistically it makes northwestern Alberta an anomaly, but she believes the federal numbers are incorrect on indigenous soldiers killed-in-action. 

Shannon Dunfield, Otipemisiwak Métis Government Citizens' Representative Grande Prairie Métis District 13, reflected on the contributions of her own community in Kelly Lake. 

“When the call came, many of our young men over 30 served, and my community continues to serve with two of my nephews still in service,” she said.

“This day, Nov. 8, is not to replace Remembrance Day, but to complement it,” said Bill Chalifoux, Veterans Memorial Garden committee member and Army, Navy, and Air Force Veterans in Canada (ANAVETS) member.

“Indigenous veterans and their families observe both days, remembering the service and honouring those veterans who have sacrificed for Canada.”

This year marks the 31st day since it was first recognized in Winnipeg in 1993. The Manitoban government would then recognize it a year later and gain further support across the country.

Charbonneau said she hopes people begin thinking more about inclusivity moving forward. 

“We have to be united,” she said. “The beautiful thing about Canada is we have this big, beautiful country, and we have all this land to share, and when we share it, we have to do so respectfully, and we have to remember those that came before us because they laid the foundation for us to have the freedoms we have today, all of them.”

This year marked the eighth year the gardens have honoured Indigenous Veterans Day.