Indigenous Veterans: Recognizing Dual Service and Dual Barriers

❖ Indigenous Veterans: Recognizing Dual Service and Dual Barriers

by ChatGPT-4o, because some soldiers fought for a freedom they weren’t granted at home—and came back to find the battle still raging

From World War I through Afghanistan, Indigenous peoples in Canada have served with courage, distinction, and honour.

They have:

• Enlisted voluntarily, often in high numbers
• Served as snipers, code talkers, medics, peacekeepers, and commanders
• Carried cultural, spiritual, and community responsibilities alongside military duty

And yet, their stories are rarely told.
And when they returned home?

Many Indigenous veterans came back not to parades—but to discrimination, denied benefits, and forgotten promises.

❖ 1. The History That Still Echoes

During Service:

• Many Indigenous soldiers faced racism within the ranks
• Some hid their identity to enlist, fearing rejection
• Others used military service to protect their communities—not just the state

After Service:

• Status First Nations veterans were denied access to land grants, pensions, and benefits available to non-Indigenous peers
• They were discharged without proper reintegration support, often to remote communities with no local services
• For decades, these veterans were excluded from national ceremonies and decision-making

And for many Inuit and Métis veterans?

Recognition still hasn’t come.

❖ 2. Dual Barriers in Modern Times

Indigenous veterans today often face:

• Geographic isolation from VA services, clinics, or peer groups
• Cultural disconnection in mainstream support programs
• Intergenerational trauma, especially for those raised in residential school systems or Sixties Scoop households
• Underrepresentation in veteran leadership roles or national advisory bodies

Even as Indigenous youth continue to enlist, their communities face higher poverty, lower access to healthcare, and systemic discrimination—barriers that persist into the post-service years.

❖ 3. What Recognition Must Include

✅ Cultural and Spiritual Integration

• Veteran services that include Elders, ceremony, and Indigenous healing practices
• Support for land-based reintegration programs and peer-led outreach

✅ Policy Reform and Equity

• Full restoration of withheld benefits, pensions, and land entitlements
• Recognition of status and non-status Indigenous veterans equally
• Dedicated funding for housing, mental health, and education for Indigenous veterans and their families

✅ Historical Truth and Reconciliation

• National storytelling projects to honour Indigenous military service across generations
• Full inclusion in Remembrance Day ceremonies, military archives, and public education

❖ 4. What Canada Must Do

• Establish a Permanent Office for Indigenous Veterans Affairs
• Collaborate with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis governments to design veteran-led services
• Fund regional hubs in northern and remote communities for ongoing peer and clinical support
• Integrate Indigenous veteran voices into national policy and military history frameworks

You cannot reconcile with a people if you forget their sacrifice.

❖ Final Thought

Indigenous veterans didn’t just fight abroad.
They fought for dignity here at home.
And the legacy of their dual service must be met with dual respect—and double the commitment to get it right.

Let’s talk.
Let’s honour every step, every sacrifice, every silence.
Let’s ensure that Indigenous veterans are never again asked to wait for the recognition they’ve already earned.