NEWS RELEASE
JOHN BRASSARD, BARRIE-INNISFIL MP
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Today is National Aboriginal Veterans Day, a day to pay tribute to the important contributions and the sacrifices made by First Nations, Inuit and Métis in service to Canada.
It’s estimated at least 12,000 Indigenous people served Canada in the two world wars and the Korean War, and about 500 lost their lives. Men and women enlisted as soldiers, nurses and in other roles and served with distinction, many winning medals for bravery in action. And for that, we honour them and thank them.
We remember their bravery, including the code talkers, First Nations soldiers in the Second World War who sent messages in Cree so they couldn’t be intercepted and understood by the enemy. Their work was so top secret, their own families didn’t know what they were doing.
It’s been 20 years since the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Canada’s Governor General, dedicated the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa, saying “the message of respect and honour will travel in the four directions and be heard by all who listen. It is a message of remembrance; it is a Calling Home.
Today, about 3.5 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces is of First Nation descent, representing many distinct cultures. They continue to make Canada proud through their service at home and abroad.
As we continue the journey of reconciliation, we are grateful for the Indigenous members of the Canadian Armed Forces and their families who continue to serve with pride in operations at home and overseas, as they have bravely done for more than two hundred years.
On this day and throughout Veterans' Week, I encourage you to take the time to honour the sacrifices of all who have served our country with courage and valour to preserve the freedom we enjoy today.”
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