The House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs wishes to acknowledge the remarkable life and achievements of Freeman Douglas Knockwood, who passed away on 16 June 2018 in Indian Brook, Nova Scotia. A respected Mi’kmaq spiritual leader, Elder Douglas Knockwood was a veteran of the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery and a much-valued counsellor whose ideas influenced many rehabilitation programs for people fighting addictions. Doug was 88 years old. An overview of his unique life can be found at: http://www.mikmaweydebert.ca/home/2015/06/ honouring-elder-douglas-knockwood/.

Doug Knockwood (right) with Don Julien at the Acadia University Convocation, where he received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities (Photo credit: Acadia University, with permission).

Introduction

As part of its study on the needs and issues specific to Indigenous veterans, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs travelled to Millbrook, N.S., Halifax, N.S., Six Nations on the Grand River, Ont., Beauval, Sask. and Victoria, B.C., for meetings and visits between 27 May and 1 June 2018. The delegation consisted of Committee Chair Neil R. Ellis, Robert Kitchen, Bob Bratina, Scott Duvall, Colin Fraser, Darrell Samson and Cathay Wagantall. The delegation was accompanied by House of Commons staff members Karine Parenteau and Nathalie Clairoux, as well as Library of Parliament Analyst Jean-Rodrigue Paré.

The contents of this travel report will enrich the Committee’s study. It will be appended to the Final Report of the study, which is scheduled for tabling in the fall of 2018.

28 May: Millbrook and Halifax

A.  Morning: Millbrook, Nova Scotia

The Millbrook First Nation is a Mi’kmaq community of about 1,800 people. Half of the community’s members reside on reserve lands in and around the town of Truro. The Millbrook First Nation developed the Millbrook Power Centre, which consists of 80 acres of commercial land located along Highway 102.

About thirty members of the Millbrook First Nation participated in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War. Many more served in more recent operations, and some, taking advantage of their dual citizenship, served in the armed forces of the United States. A cenotaph was erected at Millbrook in 1999.

Donald Julien, a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces who participated in the United Nations Mission in Cyprus, welcomed the delegation. Mr. Julien is a member of the Order of Canada and was named Honorary Colonel for the 5^th Canadian Division Training Centre (Gagetown) in 2016. He was accompanied by Allan Knockwood, Joseph Francis, James Stevens, Nolan Martin and Tim Bernard.

Mr. Julien recalled the injustices suffered by Indigenous veterans during the two world wars and the Korean War. He particularly insisted on the undue importance given to “Indian agents,” whose role was to keep the First Nations under supervision until such time as the efforts to assimilate children, orchestrated by the bureaucratic director of the Department of Indian Affairs, Duncan C. Scott, hopefully bore fruit. This treatment of Indigenous people as “pupils of the State” under the Department’s authority was used to justify their ineligibility for the programs that were available to other veterans.

According to Mr. Julien, 83 members of Nova Scotia First Nations participated in World War One, and 10 of them lost their lives. During the Second World War, 126 served and five paid the ultimate price. As well, 26 members of Nova Scotia First Nations participated in the Korean War, including one who was killed.

Allan Knockwood served as a medic in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, and he briefly served in the Canadian Reserve Force at Gagetown. His primary reason for joining the United States military was simply that many members of his family had done so in the past. He also recalled the injustices suffered by Indigenous veterans of past conflicts. Lastly, he was critical of the difficulties stemming from the shortage of health care professionals capable of understanding the specific nature of the problems and ailments plaguing veterans.

James Stevens served in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004. He stated that he had never experienced any racial tensions while serving as an Indigenous person in the American Army. He said he was pleased that, despite his service injuries, he managed to pull through all right and has been able to share his most painful experiences with other veterans; this is in marked contrast to his parents and grandparents, whose generations he felt had used alcohol to suppress their memories.

Nolan Martin also served in the U.S. Marines, but he did experience a few instances of racism. He chose the American armed forces after he was offered a recruitment bonus. When he subsequently needed a back operation due to a problem related to his military service, the American Department of Veterans Affairs made arrangements with a hospital in Halifax for him to have his operation.

Tim Bernard is Director of the Culture and History Program of the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq. He explained that, since the War in Vietnam, one of the main reasons First Nations members joined the U.S. armed forces was the GI Bill which, in exchange for the payment of a premium, guaranteed 36 months of financial support toward a formal education after military service. He also recalled certain injustices suffered by Indigenous veterans of the two world wars and the Korean War. According to him, instead of the higher amounts paid to other veterans so they could set up farms, Indigenous veterans received $2,850 so they could buy a boat and a fishing licence.

At Millbrook, during Remembrance Week, 25 banners are put on display along the municipality’s main roads. Each represents a veteran, either deceased or still living, that the municipality wishes to honour. The delegation members stated that they would like to see a similar initiative spread to as many communities as possible, whether Indigenous or not.

B.  Afternoon: Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre, Halifax

The delegation was welcomed to the Centre by Debbie Eisan, a former Chief Warrant Officer who served 26 years in the Canadian Armed Forces. Under her direction, the members of the delegation participated in a smudging ceremony.

Ms. Eisan pointed out the importance of adapting mental health care service offerings to the Indigenous cultural context. For instance, without excluding the use of psychotherapy and medical treatment, the simple fact of allowing an Indigenous veteran to return to his or her community’s land and meet with the Elders can greatly facilitate healing. Ms. Eisan cited the sweat lodge as an example; the complex sweat lodge ritual encourages people to find meaning in their difficulties by linking them to their own individual past, the community’s past, and their family’s past through the support of Elders, and by leading individuals to establish a link between this heritage, their present-day problems and the ways of learning from these experiences in order to open up a future that may have otherwise seemed blocked and out of reach.

The delegation members were pleased to learn that Veterans Affairs Canada already had access to a network of Elders from various First Nations throughout the country. The Department can refer to these resource persons whenever a situation calls for enhanced cultural awareness.

Access to services in remote communities was a hot topic of discussion here, as it is among most of those heard by the Committee during the course of this study. This is particularly true of health care services – a difficult issue that affects all Canadians, but may grow to critical proportions for veterans in remote communities.

29 May: Six Nations of the Grand River, Ohsweken, Ontario

Six Nations of the Grand River is the largest First Nation in Canada. Five of the member nations (Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca and Onondaga) belonged to the Iroquois Confederacy in the 16^th century; they were subsequently joined by the Tuscarora Nation in the early part of the 18^th century. Six Nations of the Grand River comprises more than 27,000 registered members, approximately 12,000 of whom live on reserves.[1]

The Six Nations contributed 300 recruits during the First World War, the largest number of recruits among all First Nations. They even tried to finance the creation of a battalion made up entirely of their members. The federal government refused, since the chiefs of the Six Nations wanted to receive an official request, which would have been tantamount to negotiating on a “Nation to Nation” basis. Eighty‑eight Six Nations volunteers lost their lives during the First World War.

In reaction to the unfair treatment received by Indigenous veterans after World War One, Lieutenant Frederick Ogilvie Loft, a Six Nations Mohawk, founded the League of Indians of Canada, one of the earliest First Nations rights advocacy organizations.

The Six Nations also contributed a large number of recruits during the Second World War and the Korean War, but the exact figures are not known. Several members of the Six Nations also served with the American military during the Vietnam War.

A.  10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Six Nations Veterans Association

The delegation was welcomed to the premises of the Six Nations Veterans Association by the Association’s Executive Vice-President, Bruce Patterson. He was accompanied by Korean War veteran Ed English, Marwood White Jr., Ellwood Froman and Vera Monture. Discussions focused primarily on relations between veterans and the community, particularly veterans of more-recent conflicts, as well as on what could have motivated young people to join the American military rather than the Canadian Armed Forces.

Mr. Patterson is a Vietnam War veteran. He was drafted in 1968, when he was living in Detroit. Like many other members of his community who joined the American military, he stated that he had moved back to the reserve in order to be closer to his relatives. Mr. Froman, also an American Vietnam War veteran, returned for the same reasons. He benefitted greatly from his return, overcoming a dependency on drugs that had been prescribed to him for operational stress injuries. In his view, many of the young people who left the reserve to join the American or Canadian military will want to come home to their relatives when they get older. They do not participate much in Remembrance ceremonies, and it is difficult to gauge the situations of these veterans of more-recent conflicts, such as the war in Afghanistan.

Remembrance ceremonies are held annually at Six Nations of the Grand River on the third Sunday in October. According to Ms. Monture, this day was chosen because it allows veterans to subsequently attend ceremonies in November in the United States.

First Nations members with dual citizenship have unusual status in that the responsibility for delivery of their veterans’ services rests with the government of the country for which they fought. Hence, Vietnam War veterans living in Canada must contact the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to obtain benefits and services. Veterans Affairs Canada offers services to allied veterans, but these programs are limited to Second World War and Korean War veterans. According to Mr. Patterson, it seems that some agreements might have been reached to have the American government reimburse provincial services or Veterans Affairs Canada for services provided in Canada to Vietnam War veterans.

Mr. White joined the U.S. Army in the 1990s, and subsequently returned to Six Nations to join the local police force. His primary motivation for joining the U.S. Army was the aura of strength and power it projected. In addition, the military references made within the community are essentially references to the American Army. The education programs being offered (e.g., the GI Bill) also played a role in this decision.

According to Mr. Patterson, the Canadian Armed forces (CAF) have the advantage of being able to conduct recruitment campaigns on the reserve, whereas the American armed forces are not allowed to do so. However, there is no way of knowing precisely how many community members joined the CAF in comparison with the number who joined the American military.

Given the preponderance of references to the American army, Six Nations members have little knowledge of the programs being offered by Veterans Affairs Canada, and they are not very familiar with the national organizations that look after Canadian veterans, be they Indigenous or not. Given the history of tensions with the Royal Canadian Legion, which up until the 1950s could refuse to admit Indigenous members, a certain amount of distrust still persists. Mr. English, a veteran of the Korean War, joined the Legion about a dozen years after returning in-country. Mr. Froman said that his own experience with the Legion had not been good.

Discussions ended on the need to foster improved ties between local Indigenous veterans associations and provincial or national associations. Veterans Affairs Canada must also do more in the way of efforts to publicize its programs among these communities.

B.  1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Visit to Veterans’ Park and the Reserve

The delegation visited Veterans’ Park, where monuments commemorate the sacrifice of the Six Nations members who served in the first and second world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. After touring the town with Mr. Patterson, the delegation visited the offices of the Band Council.

C.  2:00 to 2:30 p.m.: Six Nations Band Council

The delegation was received at the Band Council offices by councillors Carl Hill and Helen Miller and by the Band Council’s Senior Administrative Officer, Dale Bomberry. Fran Henry and Paul General were also present. They expressed regret at the death the previous year of Councillor Robert Johnson, who was very active with Six Nations veterans.

According to Ms. Miller, the Band Council’s activities for veterans are limited. The Band Council supports the Six Nations Veterans Association and maintains Veterans’ Park. Between 40 and 50 people take part in the ceremonies on the third Sunday in October, but few young people attend. The care provided to veterans is arranged primarily with the families. The discussions concluded with the observation that greater cooperation was needed between the Band Council, the Six Nations Veterans Association and Veterans Affairs Canada to provide more information about the programs for which the community’s veterans might be eligible.

May 30: Beauval, Saskatchewan

The village of Beauval (population 756) is located on the west bank of the Beaver River, and the La Plonge 192 Reserve of the Dene First Nation (148 residents) is located on the east bank. About 150 members of these communities claim Cree, Michif or Dene as their mother tongue.

In 1905, the year Saskatchewan and Alberta joined Confederation, the Oblate Fathers built a school in the “beautiful valley” they named Beauval. It became a residential school for First Nations children, while Métis children attended the neighbouring school in Île-à-la-Crosse, built in the 1860s. In fact, Métis and First Nations children attended both schools. Initially, there were about 40 children of Dene and Métis descent, and later, more than 100. The Grey Nuns of Montréal were responsible for education. Both English and French were taught at the school. In 1927, the school’s 19 boys died in a fire. Sister Lea, who was responsible for the boys’ dormitory, also perished. The school was rebuilt and remained in operation until 1983. It was demolished in 1995 by the residential school’s former students.

An estimated 2,000 Métis from Saskatchewan served in the First World War, the Second World War and the Korean War.

A.  10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.: Visit to the Commemorative Monument

The delegation was welcomed by Alex Maurice, a veteran of United Nations peacekeeping missions and a recipient of the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2009. After a smudge ceremony, Committee Chair Neil Ellis laid a wreath at the foot of the monument erected in honour of the community’s veterans, in the company of Mr. Maurice and Lawrence and Maxime Morin, whose father, Vital Morin, was a veteran of the Second World War. The delegation also had a conversation with the Mayor of Beauval, Nick Daigneault, who described the community’s development projects, which focus on tourism.

B.  11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Meeting at the Beauval Community Centre

Thanks to the remarkable efforts of Mr. Maurice and other community leaders, about 50 people, veterans and members of veterans’ families, attended the meeting. A snack and lunch were served by the students of a tourism and hotel management program.

Mr. Maurice opened the meeting by thanking those in attendance and noting the presence of Duane Favel, mayor of the neighbouring municipality of Île-à-la-Crosse. Jimmy Durocher recited a prayer, and Jason and Marcy Lafleur performed a smudge ceremony. Mervin “Tex” Bouvier, of the Métis Nation Saskatchewan, welcomed the participants and presented the delegation members with Métis sashes.

The participants then acknowledged the presence of Louis Roy, a 98-year-old Second World War veteran. Like a number of other Beauval residents, including Alex Malbeuf, Prosper Larivière, Joe Malbeuf, Vital Morin, Léon Bélanger, JB Maurice and Cyprien Corrigal, Mr. Roy walked more than 160 km to enlist.

In his speech, Mr. Durocher asked the delegation members to have the courage to do everything in their power to right the wrongs done to the members of his community, noting in particular the suffering caused by the residential schools. The Métis veterans were the forgotten among the forgotten. Though they did not live on reserves administered by the Department of Indian Affairs but were nevertheless regarded as Indigenous people, they suffered the same injustices as other Indigenous people, yet they were not entitled to the partial compensation that the government gave to First Nations veterans.

Ray Campbell then traced the history of the treatment of Indigenous veterans since the First World War, pointing out that the wounds of the past, especially those associated with the Métis residential schools and Indigenous residential schools, still lead to suspicion of anything that comes from the government.

As President of the National Aboriginal Veterans Association (NAVA) for Saskatchewan, Mr. Maurice read a document containing information that had been compiled on the basis of responses by the members of his organization to a series of questions.[2] The document’s conclusion reads as follows:

The parliamentary committee is making its first visit, which is excellent news for the veterans of the modern era. There is still time to correct the mistakes of the past for the Indigenous veterans who are still with us. Their last days may be better with assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Indigenous veterans who have left us MUST NOT BE FORGOTTEN. Their contribution must be recognized in the form of compensation to Métis veterans. Unlike First Nations veterans, Newfoundland loggers, members of the Merchant Marine and Asians interned during the Second World War, Métis veterans have received no compensation. The Saskatchewan chapter of the National Aboriginal Veterans Association has submitted a compensation proposal to the offices of ministers O’Regan and Bennett. We hope that the surviving veterans and their families will receive some recognition of the value of their military service. Treating the Newfoundland loggers, members of the Merchant Marine, First Nations and Asians interned during the Second World War as more important than our MÉTIS VETERANS would be the ultimate insult.

In his speech, Maxime Morin suggested that a section on Métis veterans be added to the Juno Beach Museum in Normandy. He also repeated the sentence that has been a recurring theme throughout this study: “During the war, we were all equal; after the war, we weren’t equal anymore.” He also believes that the government should offer Métis veterans the same compensation as was given to First Nations veterans of the Second World War and the Korean War in the early 2000s.

Mervin Bouvier said he was happy to see that a parliamentary committee was interested in the issue of Indigenous veterans, but he remains concerned about any real action and follow-up on the commitments made by the Committee and the government.

According to Lloyd Bishop, the decision by Métis and other Indigenous people to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces is the best evidence of their commitment to being full members of Canadian society. When veterans come back broken and cannot rely on their government’s support, that commitment is directly undermined.

Mr. Maurice took the floor again to point out that there is definitely still racism in the Canadian Armed Forces, but the people who engage in racist behaviour no longer do so out in the open, which shows that the chain of command will no longer tolerate the behaviour.

Master Warrant Officer Belanger lamented the fact that his mother, the widow of a Second World War veteran, had received no support from Veterans Affairs Canada despite her advanced age. He said that hundreds of widows of Indigenous veterans were in the same situation.

Dave Bona, a veteran of Somalia who was in the Airborne Regiment, wanted to inform those present of the dangers associated with mefloquine, an antimalarial drug administered to soldiers deployed to malaria risk areas which was associated with certain psychiatric disorders. He introduced Marjorie Matchee, wife of Clayton Matchee, who was accused of murdering a Somali prisoner in 1992. Ms. Matchee stated that mefloquine was responsible for her husband’s actions and that the drug was still affecting the mental health of many veterans. She said that mefloquine-related problems were misdiagnosed because their symptoms resembled those of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Mr. Maurice concluded the discussions by criticizing the federal government for inviting Métis politicians instead of Métis veterans to go abroad for commemoration ceremonies.

The delegation then made a second visit to the commemorative monument in the company of community members who were unable to be present for the morning visit. Committee Chair Neil Ellis thanked those present for their warm welcome.

May 31: Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, British Columbia

A.  10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Meeting with Indigenous Veterans

A dozen people met with the delegation at the CFB Esquimalt Naval and Military Museum. After the customary introductions, Joe Thorne, Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones (AVA) representative for British Columbia, recalled the injustices suffered by Indigenous veterans during the great conflicts of the 20^th century. He commended the federal government for its willingness to acknowledge certain wrongs by giving First Nations veterans token compensation of $20,000 in the early 2000s, but he criticized the absence of a similar arrangement for Métis veterans, who had to endure the same injustices. Reiterating the additional challenges faced by Indigenous veterans when they were living in remote areas, Mr. Thorne said he would like to see the associations representing Canada’s Indigenous veterans merge. He also requested financial support from the federal government to achieve that goal.

There appear to be some obstacles to that merger, and they emerged during the meeting. When Richard Blackwolf, President of the Canadian Aboriginal and Serving Members Association, took the floor, the AVA representatives insisted that they did not recognize that organization’s right to speak on behalf of Canada’s Indigenous veterans.

Kelly White described the situation of various family members of veterans who experienced mental health and homelessness problems.

Dave Armitt, of the Metis Nation of British Columbia, asked the federal government to fund an initiative to identify Métis veterans so that they could be offered compensation comparable to that received by First Nations veterans. According to Mr. Armitt, since the Supreme Court’s April 2016 decision in the case of Daniels v. Canada (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada), Métis veterans are entitled to demand that they be included in Veterans Affairs Canada advisory groups.

Mr. Blackwolf then read a document that had been submitted to the Committee as a brief.[3] The document dealt with his organization’s concerns about prescriptions for post-traumatic stress disorder, government investment in shelters for homeless veterans, and the unacceptable length of time it takes Veterans Affairs Canada to process applications for compensation.

Clifford Rose, of the Royal Canadian Legion, confirmed the anecdotal report that processing times for compensation applications had increased. He said that because of the many legislative changes made in recent years, Veterans Affairs Canada staff are inundated with applications. This problem affects all veterans.

B.  12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Informal Lunch at the Officers’ Mess

The delegation received a warm welcome for lunch at the CFB Esquimalt Officers’ Mess from Rear Admiral Art McDonald, Commander of Maritime Forces Pacific and the Joint Task Force (Pacific). Informal discussions were held along with Chief of Staff Captain Brian Costello, Base Commander Captain Jason Boyd, Captain Martin Drews, Commander, Naval Personnel Training Group, and three members of the Defence Aboriginal Advisory Group: Master Corporal Brendan Ryan-Lewis, Leading Seaman Brandon Stracevic and Petty Officer Second Class Marielle Audet.

C.  1:15 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Meeting on Indigenous Recruitment Programs

The delegation members had a discussion with Sergeant Farid Karmali, a recruiter at Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre – Victoria. There have been various programs since 1971. Since 2002, the main program has been the Canadian Forces Aboriginal Entry Program. Its objective is to provide interested candidates with an opportunity to experience the reality of a military career. This helps them make an informed decision as to whether they are really interested in pursuing such a career. 97% of the participants decide to join the regular Forces.

The Aboriginal Leadership Opportunity Year is intended for Indigenous people who want to take officer cadet training. It is similar to a program available to other recruits, but for one year, second-language training is replaced with an Indigenous culture module.

There are three summer training programs for Indigenous people: Bold Eagle (Wainwright, Alberta), Raven (Esquimalt, British Columbia) and Black Bear (Oromocto, New Brunswick). The six-week programs give participants the opportunity to familiarize themselves with military training with no prior commitment to join the Canadian Armed Forces afterward. Participants are paid $3,500, the same as a soldier’s salary.

All these programs are separate from what the Rangers do, as they take care of their own recruiting. According to Mr. Karmali, one of the issues in recruiting is the competition from the United States for Indigenous people who have dual citizenship. Since the initial requirements are higher in Canada, it may seem more appealing to join the U.S. forces.

D.  2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.: Visit to Esquimalt’s Naval Base Facilities

During this visit, the delegation members enjoyed the engaging conversation and detailed knowledge of Senior Protocol Officer Jamie Webb.

E.  3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.: Meeting with the Staff of the Integrated Personnel Support Centre

The delegation members met with the staff of CFB Equimalt’s Integrated Personnel Support Centre (IPSC) Capt Mike Dailey, Capt(N) Clive Butler, John Murphy, Sasha Gutierrez, Bob Witteveen, and Lt(N) John Wentworth – IPSC Esquimalt Platoon Commander. The meeting took place in a room adjacent to the one occupied by the Veterans Affairs Canada employees attached to the IPSC. Despite the Committee’s requests, no Veterans Affairs Canada representatives attended the meeting.

Very constructive discussions helped the delegation members understand the realities of the day-to-day work done at the IPSC. This IPSC is one of the 31 centres that together form the Joint Personnel Support Unit (JPSU). The members were happy to be able to confirm the conclusions of their latest report on transition, which were that wounded members of the military who are assigned to the JPSU receive outstanding service and personalized follow-up. However, the level of service provided to CAF members transitioning out whose needs are less complex remains difficult to determine. About 300 CAF members are discharged at Esquimalt, Comox and Vancouver each year, 100 of them for medical reasons. Of the latter, 30 are assigned to the JPSU. In other words, 10% of CAF members transitioning out of the military are receiving comprehensive follow-up services.