It is National Indigenous Veterans Day.
Often the contributions of Indigenous people as part of the Canadian war effort goes unnoticed according to Brian Black, who is Métis Nation of Ontario’s director of self-government strategy.
He says when Métis military personnel returned home from overseas, they were denied many, if not all, of the benefits they were entitled to.
He says progress has been made to make up for the support shortfalls of the past, but there remains work to be done.
Black says there are numerous examples of Métis people serving with distinction and bravery in battle – an impressive record of service aided by the unique skill set they possessed.
The first National Indigenous Veterans Day was held in 1994.