Schools across Canada held special ceremonies Tuesday in honour of Indigenous Veterans Day, including Quebec鈥檚 Mary Gardner School in Châteauguay, on Montreal鈥檚 South Shore.
鈥淚t鈥檚 about remembering those who fought in the war,鈥� said Grace Sutton, a Grade 2 student.
Ray Deer was among a group of veterans in attendance. He served with the Canadian Armed Forces from 1978 to 1979, and then joined the U.S. Army where he served for 21 years until he retired.
Deer, the president of Mohawk Branch 219 in Kahnawake, Que., says this is a day to remember all veterans who came before and the veterans serving now.
鈥淭he slogan for Remembrance Day is 鈥榣est we forget.鈥� Our Aboriginal veterans, when they came back from war, were forgotten. So there wasn't any 鈥榣est we forget鈥� for them,鈥� said Deer. 鈥淎 lot of them suffered on their own. Whether it was PTSD, coming back home after what they experienced with wounds, we didn't get the same outlook that non natives had that served.鈥�
Mohawk student Cameron Nolan was one of several students who laid a wreath at the ceremony.
鈥淚t means a bunch to me because I know family who has been in the war. It just feels good to be here. It means a lot,鈥� he said. 鈥淩eally all I can say is thank you to them. It鈥檚 the least I can do.鈥�
