Garry Swampy, principal of Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School, says the war veterans he grew up with were beloved elders and strong role models who made many contributions to the community.
“A lot of us knew them growing up, as kids, and we watched them grow old and some of them shared their stories, so it really meant a lot to us, the sacrifices they made, and we want to honor them for that,” Swampy said.
Each November, the school honors Sagkeeng veterans by holding services, displaying more than 100 banners featuring photos of veterans taken by students from the community around Sagkeeng First Nation, and digital gestures of pride via social media.
“Everything is community, you know,” Swampy said. “Council members give us information, community members give us information. We just compile it.
“And every year we have a great service at our school and also in our community, and we’re a part of that too.”
Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School posted a video on the Sagkeeng Education Authority Facebook page showcasing more than 50 veterans who are members of the First Nation as a way to honor the legacies of their veterans in the community. (Sagkeeng Anicinabe secondary school)
Since the pandemic, the school has expanded their Remembrance Day and Indigenous Veterans Day ceremonies to include a video showcasing Sagkeeng First Nation member veterans through a slideshow of their names, photos and where they served.
This year Sagkeeng Veteran Roll Call Videoposted on the Sagkeeng Education Authority Facebook page, highlights more than 50 Sagkeeng First Nation veterans.
The annual videos, some previously posted on YouTube, have been seen by Sagkeeng members who did not grow up in the First Nation because they were made during the Scoop of the 1960s, when the government took Indigenous children from their homes and into placed foster families. place them for adoption in non-indigenous families.
“Now they are coming forward after seeing this video,” Swampy said.
“Even though they were taken when they were born here, they came from here. So now they’re coming home.’
A memorial service will be held at the Roman Catholic Church community on Monday.
The school will hold an Indigenous Veterans Day service on Friday.
Different history and sacrifice
Indigenous Veterans Day was first established in 1993 by the National Aboriginal Veterans Association on November 8. The day honors the thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit who served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
“The day was created in response to the Aboriginal Veterans Association being unable and disallowed to place a wreath at the national ceremony of remembrance,” said Justin Woodcock, veteran and First Nation veteran coordinator for the Southern Chiefs’ Organization.
When Woodcock talks to people about Indigenous Veterans Day, there are still questions about why First Nation veterans need their own day, and he tells them it’s because of the distinct history, sacrifices and experiences of Indigenous veterans.
“I’ve faced a lot of challenges in the military with discrimination and racist comments, so I know some of those old ideas still exist,” Woodcock said.
A Canadian Armed Forces Report in 2016 said members of an advisory panel found systemic racism and discrimination against Indigenous soldiers in the military. In April 2022, a report with similar findings stated that racism was still prevalent within the Canadian Armed Forces.
Woodcock sees many changes happening within the Canadian Armed Forces when it comes to representing and supporting Indigenous veterans. For example, the military base in Winnipeg now has sweat sites open to veterans of all backgrounds to better support Indigenous veterans with culturally specific forms of healing.
“The Canadian Armed Forces lifted me out of poverty and gave me a sense of pride, discipline and a sense of how to live by a code and a strong code of ethics that I have continued to use to this day,” said Woodcock.
“Reconciliation with First Nations people is gradually happening, and as a First Nation veteran I have seen first-hand the changes that have taken place, and it warms my heart.”
Other indigenous peoples who may disagree with indigenous people fighting for a country with a history of colonization are entitled to their own opinions and should be respected, he said.
“It is important not to think of Indigenous people in a pan-Indigenous view. That is why many veterans fought in the conflicts that they did, to preserve our right to our own opinions and our freedom,” Woodcock said.
“First Nations people have a proud history of fighting and protecting the land,” he said.
“We can continue to do this.”
In 2021, there were 23,075 Indigenous veterans across the country, with more than seven per cent of those in Manitoba. Statistics Canada data say.