National Indigenous Veterans Day, Nov 8

Since the War of 1812, Indigenous people have fought by the side of non-Indigenous, despite the prejudice and discrimination they faced here in Canada. At war, they stood on a more equal footing, where their skills on the battlefield were more important than the colour of their skin. Veterans Affairs Canada estimates that more than 12,000 Indigenous people served during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. They voluntarily enlisted in an army to fight as a representative of a country that was actively attempting to erase them as a people and it was not until 1994, with the establishment of National Indigenous Veterans Day, that there was public recognition of their service. Indigenous soldiers were among the first to enlist during the First World War. While…

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