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(Image Credit: The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument in Ottawa. Photo credit: ID 254240136 © Stefano Neri | Dreamstime.com)
By Curtis Galbraith
Veterans Week Nov. 5-11

Sunday marks Indigenous Veterans Day

Nov 7, 2026 | 6:00 AM

Sunday, November 8 will mark Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada.  

Veterans Affairs Canada says more than 4000 Indigenous people served in World War I, while another 3000 First Nations people, plus an unknown number of Metis, Inuit and other Indigenous people, served in World War II. 

Some were code talkers in World War II. Messages were communicated in Cree and translated into English so as not to tip off the enemy. 

They also served as scouts and sharpshooters, as hunting was still a way of life in their community. 

The veterans still faced discrimination and exclusion when they returned home. 

The Veterans Memorial Garden in Grande Prairie will host a ceremony on Sunday. People can start gathering at 10 a.m., with the ceremony starting at 10:45. 

Also on Sunday, Metis Crossing, located near Smoky Lake, will unveil an expanded Metis Veterans Monument. 

A news release says that after more research was done, more than 4000 Metis veterans have been added to the monument.

by Curtis Galbraith