Despite these contributions, Indigenous Peoples in the military haven’t always been treated right. And it wasn’t until recently that they were properly acknowledged with Indigenous Veterans Day, first observed in 1994, a 2003 federal apology and compensation package for First Nations veterans, and a 2019 federal apology and compensation package to Métis veterans of the Second World War.
As we mark Remembrance Day, two Indigenous veterans shared what they’ve been through and what their service means to them with the Star.Brian Black, a navy veteran of the Gulf War, treasures a picture of the sun rising over the National Métis Veterans’ Memorial Monument in Batoche, Sask.
Black takes pride in the contributions Métis and other Indigenous veterans made during their military service. “Canada realized what great warriors Indigenous people were and actively looked for them to participate in war,” he says. “We’ve fought with distinction and bravery, in a fearless manner.”, a highly decorated Second World War and Korean War veteran from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation.
Melvin Hardy “Zhoongizi,” 2nd Regiment Canadian Horse Artillery veteran, Regional Deputy Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation Melvin Hardy was 19 when he joined the Canadian Armed Forces as a paratrooper, serving from 1979 to 1989, and training in Norway, helping communities in crisis. Now 63, he draws upon his experiences to be a leader for theHardy says entering the service felt “very foreign,” and recalls constant discrimination. When he first arrived in the army, the military barber shaved half of his head and then went for coffee, leaving him to stare at himself in the mirror.