Fraser Heights Secondary honours First Nations on National Indigenous Veterans Day
Fraser Heights Secondary students designed paper poppies for Indigenous Veterans' Day, commemorating the contributions and sacrifices of Indigenous soldiers in the First World War, Second World War and Korean War.
As schools across Surrey and White Rock spend this week remembering heroes of war, Fraser Heights Secondary and other schools are recognizing local First Nations for National Indigenous Veterans Day, honouring the contributions of more than 7,000 Indigenous soldiers to the First World War, Second World War and Korean War.
Observed every Nov. 8, National Indigenous Veterans Day was established in Manitoba in 1994 and has since spread across Canada in the past three decades. The day acknowledges the courage and sacrifice of Indigenous soldiers to the country’s war efforts, as well as its peacekeeping reputation.
Sgt. Tommy Prince (right), pictured with a brother, was a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and one of Canada's most decorated veterans. (Photo via C.J. Woods / Department of National Defence / Library and Archives Canada / PA-142289)
“It’s all in remembrance of victims, soldiers, personal family histories,” said Fraser Heights social studies teacher Hardip Rakkar, noting the school has observed the day in recent years. “I feel like there is special recognition due because for so many years, Indigenous veterans weren’t recognized or they were dismissed at the end of the war, even though they played a pivotal role.”
Indigenous Canadians have been a part of the Canadian Forces for more than 200 years – proving to be vital allies in the War of 1812 – and have become some of the most decorated heroes in the country’s history, putting their lives at risk behind enemy lines.
Sgt. Tommy Prince, a member of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation and an expert sniper in the Second World War, was one of only three Canadians to receive both the Canadian Military Medal and the American Silver Star, as well as an additional six service medals, among other accolades. He also served as a member of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry in the Korean War, which had a prominent defensive part in the Battle of Kapyong that earned the Canadian unit the rare honour of the United States Presidential Unit Citation.
“Many Indigenous soldiers actually had experience with rifles because a lot of them would go hunting,” said Rakkar. “They were a considerable part of why so many Canadian men were able to come back to their families, because they already had the skills that the army was looking for.”
However, despite the successes and sacrifices of Indigenous soldiers, many were still disenfranchised after returning from the First World War, deprived of the right to vote and denied the freedoms for which they fought – a dark mark on Canada’s history.
Dennis Leon of the Kwantlen First Nation
To recognize the day, Dennis Leon of the Kwantlen First Nation will share a territorial welcome and perform traditional drumming and singing throughout the halls of Fraser Heights Secondary on Wednesday morning. Students will line the hallways and raise their hands or stand silently in a show of respect.
Many classes have also decorated paper poppies designed by the father of teacher Owen Bedard, who is Indigenous, and added them to their classroom doors to recognize the day. The school will also fly the B.C. Indigenous flag with the Canadian flag.
“As this history is becoming more and more known, it’s important that their part of history is commemorated,” said Rakkar. “Indigenous veterans have made some very large contributions to the history of Canada.”
