Military museum display showcases contributions of Indigenous soldiers
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/05/2024 (539 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
A new display at the 26 Field Regiment RCA/XII Manitoba Dragoons Museum will showcase the contributions of Indigenous soldiers in the two world wars and Korea.
The display will be unveiled at a ceremony at the Brandon Armoury on Saturday and will “fill a void” in the museum, a press release stated. While there are many displays and stories in the museum about the contributions of non-Indigenous soldiers, this new display will outline the efforts of First Nation, Inuit and Métis soldiers and the hardships they endured.
“The museum volunteers hope the Indigenous display in the museum will contribute to reconciliation,” the release stated. “And that Indigenous and Métis students and adults who visit the museum will learn of the contributions made by their ancestors and feel a sense of pride in what they did.”
The display will consist of four parts — a painting by a Winnipeg-based Indigenous visual artist commissioned by the museum, a shadowbox featuring a soldier who was a member of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, a plaque that honours the most decorated soldiers from the First and Second World War and Korea, and an eagle feather which holds significance for Indigenous people.
Under the Indian Act, Indigenous people did not have to serve in the Canadian military and could not be conscripted. However, thousands of Indigenous people volunteered and served in the Canadian Forces in both world wars and the Korean War. Many served in the army, as the navy and the air force did not recruit Indigenous people. Records were not kept for non-status Indigenous, Inuit or Métis people, and thousands served without recognition of their Indigenous identity.
Of those who served, more than 500 were killed and many more were wounded. After the wars ended, Indigenous people suffered like many soldiers from post-war trauma, but were not awarded the same benefits as non-Indigenous veterans. It wasn’t until 2002 that the federal government offered a $20,000 redress package to individual Indigenous veterans.
The ceremony unveiling the display will take place at the Brandon Armoury at 1116 Victoria Ave.on Saturday at 11 a.m.
» The Brandon Sun