'Beautiful way to start today': Indigenous Veterans Day enshrined in Manitoba legislation

Darren Bernhardt · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 1:22 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

On the eve of the archetypal officially recognized Indigenous Veterans Day successful Manitoba, there's a batch of advancement to celebrate, says a subordinate of the Southern Chiefs' Organization.

"I tin lone talk for myself, but I deliberation connected the general, we spot a batch much positivity and a batch much hopeful messaging. I'm truly excited astir however acold we've travel and I'm excited to spot wherever we go,” said Justin Woodcock, who manages SCO's First Nations veterans program.

Saturday marks Indigenous Veterans Day crossed Canada, honouring the thousands of First Nations, Métis and Inuit who person served and proceed to service successful the Canadian Armed Forces.

The eighth time of November has been acknowledged, successful immoderate mode oregon another, for much than 3 decades, but it was ne'er enshrined successful authorities successful Manitoba until now.

On Thursday night, the state gave royal assent to Bill 210, the Indigenous Veterans Day Act.

"What a beauteous mode to commencement today," Woodcock said successful an interrogation Friday with CBC Manitoba Information Radio big Marcy Markusa.

"The time has a batch of history, and I'm truthful excited to cognize that moving guardant it’s cemented and we don't person to interest astir it [getting] recognized each twelvemonth anymore."

It was archetypal observed successful Winnipeg successful 1993 aft veterans, determined to found a abstracted time to honour their service, held an lawsuit that had been prompted by an incidental successful 1991 astatine the National Remembrance Day work successful Ottawa.

On Nov. 11, 1991, a radical of Kanien'kehaka (Mohawk) veterans tried to spot a wreath during the ceremonial but were refused. They were besides prohibited from laying wreaths astatine cenotaphs oregon entering Legion halls to observe with chap soldiers.

Sgt. Tommy Prince, middle, was a leader of some the Second World War and the Korean War. (PPCLI Museum and Archives successful Calgary)

Systemic favoritism against Indigenous veterans began arsenic soon arsenic they returned location from service, with galore being denied the aforesaid designation and benefits arsenic their non-Indigenous comrades.

"It's shocking to deliberation about. These are World War II veterans, Korean War veterans, folks that person enactment their lives connected the enactment for freedom, for Canada, and for them not to beryllium capable to enactment successful a time meant to honour them, it's a travesty," Woodcock said.

"So they came together, they organized, they said if we're not going to beryllium capable to enactment successful this day, we'll marque our own."

Following Winnipeg, Manitoba recognized what was past called Aboriginal Veterans Day successful 1994.

Since then, the time has been recognized done a solution reintroduced each twelvemonth successful the legislature. Bill 210 changes that. It protects it successful instrumentality without the request yearly reintroduction, Woodcock said.

"[It's] a important milestone for Indigenous veterans and their families."

Indigenous veterans were yet allowed to enactment successful the National War Memorial ceremonies successful 1995 — 50 years aft the extremity of the Second World War. Despite that, Indigenous Veterans Day continues and is recognized with its ain events astir the country.

"A large portion of the time for maine is to honour that unsocial history," said Woodcock, who's from Opaskwayak Cree Nation and served 8 years with the equipped forces — 5 successful the service and 3 successful the navy.

"I'm gladsome that things person since changed, but I deliberation it's important that folks cognize that unsocial history."

And, helium added, to observe the advancement astatine the aforesaid time, citing the caller apology from the Canadian Armed Forces for however Indigenous soldiers were treated.

"Myself and a batch of different First Nation veterans watched that and it was truly meaningful for me. It's efforts similar that that are moving things guardant towards reconciliation and healing," helium said, besides noting this is the archetypal twelvemonth that presently serving equipped forces members tin deterioration a beaded poppy connected their uniform.

More locally, helium highlighted the gains astatine 17 Wing, Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg. In 2022, the once-named Community Chapel was rededicated arsenic the Spiritual Well-Being Centre for the diverseness of those who serve.

"I enactment intimately with the basal present successful Winnipeg, 17 Wing, and it conscionable warms my bosom to spot what's going connected on that base," Woodcock said.

And since 2017 the basal has had a sweat lodge that is unfastened to each members.

"To beryllium capable to bring those 2 pieces of their individuality — their subject inheritance and besides their First Nation civilization — to observe that connected basal shows however acold we've come," Woodcock said.

“When I was serving, I struggled with my ain individuality sometimes and didn't ever consciousness harmless to amusement who I was. So present erstwhile I spot initiatives similar that being afloat embraced by the bid astatine 17 Wing, it conscionable truly warms my heart.”

To honour Indigenous veterans and the authoritative designation of their time successful the province, Indigenous Veterans Manitoba is holding their archetypal yearly seasoned pow wow astatine Sergeant Tommy Prince Place (90 Sinclair St.), on Saturday astatine 1 p.m.

The facility, formerly the North Centennial Recreation and Leisure Facility, was renamed successful 2017 successful honour of the Anishinaabe warfare leader from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation northbound of Winnipeg.

Prince is 1 of the astir decorated soldiers successful Canada’s history.

"We're going to person our ain mode to observe each other," Woodcock said astir the powwow. "I'm truly excited and I anticipation to spot a batch of radical there. Everyone's welcome."

Indigenous Veterans Day volition besides beryllium marked with a powwow astatine the Keeshkeemaquah Conference and Gaming Centre successful Long Plain, southwest of Portage la Prairie, portion the Red River Métis Veterans Department of the Manitoba Métis Federation is holding an lawsuit astatine the Royal Canadian Legion successful Lac du Bonnet.

While he'll beryllium celebrating the peculiar events connected Saturday, Woodcock says his thoughts volition beryllium with those who paved the way.

"I'll beryllium reasoning astir that radical of veterans that went to the National Monument successful 1991 and were turned away. And I anticipation that they're uncovering bid and healing now.”