Wreaths laid at Alta. legislature grounds in honour of Indigenous vets

EDMONTON -

Indigenous Canadian veterans were honoured in a ceremony in Edmonton on Monday, National Aboriginal Veterans Day.

The wreath-laying ceremony took place at the Aboriginal Veterans Memorial at the Alberta legislature.

Elder Elsie Paul opened the ceremony with a prayer before remarks by Indigenous veteran Wally Sinclair and Leduc-Beaumont MLA Brad Rutherford, who also serves as the province's military liaison to the Canadian Armed Forces.

An estimated 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis people have served for Canada since the First World War. An estimated 500 have been killed while serving.

"This day is necessary to pay tribute to their bravery, their dedication and sacrifice," Rutherford told those in attendance.

"I want you to think of those who have served today and remember them: remember them for their bravery and dedication, for all they have done in the defence of this country. Lest we forget."

"In the military, you look left, you look right. It's not colour. It's not anything of that. It's your buddy," Sinclair added.

The 75-year-old was born and raised in Lesser Slave Lake by Cree-speaking grandparents. His grandfather and uncle served, and inspired him to later sign on as a communication electrician. At the time, he says, the paperwork had no Métis identity option; only French and English. 

Sinclair ended up serving across Europe and Canada and continues to be active in a number of community and veterans groups. 

"I, on behalf of all my friends, veterans comrades, army, navy, air force, the cadets today, let's continue to support them. Let's show up. Like today, when you have something like this, dedication. This is important."

In the mid-1990s, Indigenous veterans and their families were finally allowed to lay wreaths at the National War Memorial in Ottawa.

Aboriginal Veterans Day was established in 1994 in Manitoba, and later made a national day of recognition.