Under softly falling evening snow, a gathering of people huddled in the peaceful surroundings of Lakeview Cemetery on Tuesday evening to honour the sacrifice made by Indigenous people during times of conflict.
National Indigenous Veterans Day was Nov. 8, a day first established in Manitoba in 1994, to remember the sacrifice and contribution Indigenous people made during their military service in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War.
Blair Neatby, a Yellowknife veteran who served in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry for 35 years, led the memorial service.
“Today, we honour all Indigenous veterans and their service,” Neatby said.
He noted that it was also an important way for their surviving relatives to recognize the sacrifice they made and to keep the tradition alive for future generations.
“Up until 1994, there was no place for Indigenous people to lay wreaths at the national war memorials, so now we recognize Nov. 8 specifically to recognize their contributions,” Neatby said.
During his address to the gathering, Neatby said approximately 12,000 Indigenous people volunteered and served during wartime. Four thousand First Nations people served in the First World War and 3,000 served during the Second World War. Between those two wars, more than 500 Indigenous soldiers never came home and are buried abroad, he said.
“It is incumbent upon us to remember those veterans who not only served overseas but those who continue to serve us today,” he said.
During her public address, NWT Commissioner Margaret Thom said it was a special honour to be part of the evening ceremony.
“Every day, and especially today, we reflect on all the Northerners who have served in various conflicts overseas, some who never came back and the ones who find it very difficult to share what were very traumatic experiences and events,” Thom said. “Know that we care and are extremely thankful to you.”
Thom appealed to the attendees of the service that “when you see a veteran or current member of the military, give them the time to stop, shake their hand, give them a hug and say thank you for what you have done and went through for our country and more importantly, our creator.”
Thom also said the military service of First Nations, Inuit and Metis has deep roots.
“It is so important that we recognize, commemorate and remember in the spirit of reconciliation the sacrifices made by Indigenous people in their service to Canada,” she said.
After the ceremony, lit candles were provided to individuals and placed on every Indigenous veteran gravesite in the cemetery.
—By Jill Westerman, Northern News Services