Sask. Métis community celebrates Indigenous Veterans Day

As members of the Métis community gathered in Batoche on Indigenous Veterans Day on Wednesday, Mervin Bouvier reflects on the soldiers who were overlooked.

"The forgotten warrior is when the Métis veteran came back from the army in WW1, WW2. They weren't recognized as much and were left behind in a lot of areas within their communities," said Bouvier, a director with the Métis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S).

Bouvier says the vital contribution of Indigenous people in the First and Second World Wars wasn’t acknowledged for many years.

Josie Searson, a Métis veteran herself who served in northern Quebec in the 1960s, shared her experiences and the challenges faced by Indigenous individuals from the north when enlisting. She also emphasized the importance of acknowledging the sacrifices made by these veterans.

"It was wonderful to be there to share in the work and to understand what was going on in our world at that time," Searson said.

She described the remarkable journeys some from the remote north had to undertake just to enlist, often traveling for many miles by river to become part of the armed forces.

"They'd be traveling by a river for many, many miles to become part of the armed forces. I thought that was really commendable. And to think about it, they're leaving their wives and children behind," she said.

In an effort to rectify this historical oversight, the MN-S is taking action to ensure that their warriors are no longer disregarded. They invited the media to Batoche to witness the proceedings, drawing attention to the sacrifices and contributions of Métis veterans.

"There's a lot of work that has to be done, even a list of our region. We should have a list in each region of who is a veteran," said Bouvier.