On November 11^th, we will once again celebrate and remember all those who served their country in wartime.

Often, we overlook or forget the other races who also contributed so much. For instance, during WWI more than 4,000 Indigenous people served in uniform. The response to volunteer was remarkable. One in every three able-bodied men volunteered.

I also discovered that in some communities, such as the Head of the Lake Band in British Columbia, every man between twenty and thirty-five enlisted. They joined up for a variety of reasons from simply needing employment or seeking adventure to continuing the tradition their ancestors had upheld; fighting alongside the British during the War of 1812 and the South African War.

In addition, Indigenous men brought valuable skills with them to serving such as patience, stealth and good marksmanship. They came from communities where hunting was part of their daily life. As a result, many of these men were valuable as successful snipers and scouts.

Indigenous soldiers earned at least fifty decorations for bravery during the First and Second World Wars. For instance, Henry Louis Norwest, a Métis from Alberta and one of the most famous snipers of the entire Canadian Corps, held a divisional sniping record of 115 fatal shots and was awarded the Military Medal for his courage under fire.

Here are the names of just a handful of other Indigenous people who served their country.

Sam Glad, Mi’kmaq, of Nova Scotia, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal in WWI for “showing great devotion to duty and an utter disregard of personal danger.”

David Greyeyes of the Muskeg Lake Cree Band in Saskatchewan who in WWII earned the Greek Military Cross. He was the first Indigenous person to be appointed Regional Director of Indian Affairs, a Member of the Order of Canada, and a Member of Saskatchewan’s Sports Hall of Fame.

David Keesick, Ojibwa, who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal.

George McLean, Nk’maplas, Head of the Lake Okanagan Indian Band, B.C. who served in both the Boer War and WWI, and was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal with the citation that he “single-handily captured 19 prisoners, and later, when attacked by five more prisoners who attempted to reach a machine gun, he was able, even though wounded, to dispose of them unaided and thus saved a large number of causalities.”

Oliver Milton Martin, Mohawk of the Six Nations Grand River Reserve, Ontario, who served in WWI and WWII and earned the highest rank ever held by an indigenous Canadian—that of Brigadier.

All these brave men and so many others should be honoured both on National Indigenous Veterans Day on November 8^th and Remembrance Day on November 11^th.

And, as we remember those who served their country in many wars with so much bravery, let’s not forget those other races with other cultures who served and gave their lives so that we might live in freedom.

Let’s Never Forget Why We Remember them all.