MMF launches memorial bursary

WINNIPEG — Métis sashes were adorned with poppies as Robert Chapman helped lay memorial wreaths to honour Indigenous veterans Sunday.

The Manitoba Métis Federation’s annual Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony was, admittedly, a “scary” event for the 100-year-old who served in the Second World War. Chapman was seated in the front row and was regularly referenced by politicians during speeches in the packed Elmwood legion.

“Our veteran doesn’t like a big fuss,” Kat Patineaude, the Métis federation’s media relations adviser, said with a laugh.

“He doesn’t have a choice. We like to fuss over him anyway.”

Chapman was set to receive $20,000 through the MMF’s veterans legacy program this year but chose to give it back.

He’s now become the namesake of a new bursary for Métis students.

The MMF and its president, David Chartrand, have matched the donation, bringing the pot to $60,000.

As of Sunday, Métis citizens in cadets and those whose studies connect to the Canadian Armed Forces, can apply for funding. Two people will receive $1,500 each annually.

JoAnne Remillard, the federation’s education minister, called Chapman a “very kind and generous man.”

Chartrand labelled Chapman his “hero.” The pair sat side by side during the 2 1/2-hour event.

Chapman served in the military from 1945-46, his son Ken said.

The veteran likely struggled to get the benefits received by his non-Indigenous counterparts. In 2019, the federal government apologized and promised compensation for Métis vets who did not receive equal support.

Chartrand reminded the crowd of this during his speech.

“Why did Nov. 8 have to happen? It should not have had to happen,” Chartrand told the crowd of more than 100 people. “Nov. 8 came because discrimination was not over.”

Nov. 8 was first observed as Indigenous Veterans Day in Winnipeg 33 years ago (then called a remembrance day for Aboriginal veterans).

It was enshrined into law as Indigenous Veterans Day last year.

More than 12,000 Indigenous Canadians have served in the military in the 20th and 21st centuries, said Lt.-Col. Patricia Traverse.

Currently, three per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces’s personnel is Indigenous. That works out to 3,000 soldiers, said Rebecca Chartrand, federal minister for Northern and Arctic affairs.

Demand for help with Veterans Affairs claims hit a new record this year — 55 requests, said Justin Woodcock, manager of a program administered by the Southern Chiefs’ Organization.

Demand keeps growing as the SCO expands outreach, Woodcock continued. This year, staff went to Opaskwayak Cree Nation — Woodcock’s home — to attend a powwow and spread the word.

Woodcock spent 2009 to 2017 in the army and navy, as an armoured crewman and combat systems engineer.

“Growing up, I was always craving stability,” Woodcock, 39, said. “The military just gave me that foundation, that sense of being part of something bigger than myself.”

It’s important to honour Indigenous veterans’ service, and to provide examples for youth, the veteran said.

“That’s a really big part of the day for me, is to highlight those role models,” he said.

He believes the Canadian Armed Forces has come “a long way” in reconciliation. He takes veterans he works with to a sweat lodge at 17 Wing, an air force base in Winnipeg.

There’s still a “long way to go,” Chartrand said during his speech.

The federal government has set a target of recruiting 8,200 people to the military in fiscal year 2026-27. The Canadian Armed Forces enrolled 7,310 members in 2025-26, as it put an emphasis on bolstering defence.

“There will be those that continue to serve from our families,” Rebecca Chartrand said.

“It reminds us of the important work that has come before us to protect our freedoms (and) the work that we’re going to continue to do.”

» Winnipeg Free Press