Statement from Shawn Nault, Minister responsible for Red River Métis Veterans on Indigenous Veterans Day

November 8, 2024

Today, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the National Government of the Red River Métis, joins our Citizens in honouring National Indigenous Veterans Day.

This year marks Manitoba’s 30th year recognizing Indigenous Veterans Day, which was created to give Red River Métis, First Nations, and Inuit peoples a space to honour and express our gratitude for our Veterans in our own traditional way. To be clear, Indigenous Veterans Day was not meant to duplicate or take away from Remembrance Day, it was created to help revitalize our Veterans’ pride in their identities. It also gives our people the opportunity to show our Veterans how much they are appreciated by their community.

Today we celebrate the strength, resilience, and bravery of our Red River Métis Veterans, who have consistently stood up to systems of tyranny and oppression to protect our Red River Métis Homeland and democracy across the globe. Throughout our history, our Veterans have always demonstrated their fierce devotion as Red River Métis people to fight for what’s right and create a better world for our children and all children.

At the Victory of Frog Plain in 1816, our Ancestors fought for the rights and prosperity of our Nation, to ensure that their children could prosper and set up future generations of Red River Métis for economic success.

Led by our leader Louis Riel, our Resistance-era Red River Métis Veterans fought to defend our very existence, our rights, and our peaceful democratic values against a country that saw us as the enemy.

Despite the loss of many Red River Métis heroes at the Battle of Batoche, the children of the Resistance understood the threats emerging overseas, and stood up to fight on behalf of a country that didn’t respect them and didn’t know them. Our Red River Métis Veterans answered the call to arms, risking their lives overseas in unfamiliar places to protect democracy and freedom at home and abroad. After witnessing the horrors of war all over the world, the Red River Métis Veterans who were fortunate enough to make it home to their families were often denied the economic head-start that was routinely extended to their non-Métis counterparts.

Despite their heroic contributions to the World Wars, when our Red River Métis Veterans returned, Canada refused to treat them with the dignity and respect they deserved because of their identity. Yet, our Veterans pushed through. They rebuilt their lives, raised families, and laid the foundations for our thriving Red River Métis community that proudly exists today. They once again continued to demonstrate their strength and dedication to ensuring that their children could lead successful lives.

Our Korean and Cold War-era Red River Métis Veterans also stood up to serve our Nation as peacekeepers. I grew up and served alongside these men and women and witnessed the impacts of their service in the Canadian Armed Forces firsthand. I shared in their struggle fighting mental health issues, discrimination, and the lack of support. The experiences of my fellow Red River Métis Veteran Cabinet Ministers and I have reinforced our dedication to ensuring that our future generations don’t have to face the same challenges.

Each and every Red River Métis Veteran has dedicated their lives to creating a safer world for our children, where they can feel safe and proud of their identity as the strong Red River Métis leaders of tomorrow.

I feel incredibly proud that my daughter Alexina, a piper with the Canadian Armed Forces, will be proudly wearing her Red River Métis sash across her uniform as she leads in the Colour Party today at our Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony at the Portage la Prairie Legion. It brings me great pride to know that our modern-day Veterans and active serving members are continuing our tradition of protecting our Homeland while being able to feel prouder than ever to be Red River Métis.

On this Indigenous Veterans Day, the National Government of the Red River Métis and every Citizen remind our Veterans that we will always be there to fight on their behalf, honour their strength, and protect them as they have always protected us.

Today and all days, we honour our Indigenous Veterans, among all Canadian Veterans for their service to our country today, tomorrow, and forever.

NT5