Indigenous Veterans Day - November 8th: Can-Core, NFB Videos

First Nations People in the Canadian Military

2011 ; 01:46 minutes ; Grade K-8

Canada’s First Nations people have fought for this country in every major war. Thousands of Canadian indigenous soldiers fought in World War I and earned many medals. The National Aboriginal Veterans monument in Ottawa honours these many brave men and women. Four figures represent the Inuit, the Métis, and First Nations peoples, and four animal spirits guide them; the eagle above symbolizes the strength of aboriginal peoples. Today Canadian Armed Forces contribute as international peacekeepers.

Real Life Heroes: Canadian Corporal Jason Funnell | Silent Heroes (Episode 8): The Medicine Line Series

2014 ; 08:57 minutes ; Grade 6-12

Back across the Medicine Line Dave Gaudet meets a Canadian hero from a new generation. At historic military base CFB Petawawa, war hero Corporal Jason Funnell, a member of the Haida Nation, modestly describes his heroic service in Afghanistan during Operation Medusa. Chief Warrant Officer Chris Young reminds us that aboriginal people have always been part of the Canadian military. Tommy Prince, an Ojibwa from Manitoba, was part of the elite World War II First Special Service Force. But the Canadian Armed Forces, once primarily a white Anglo-Saxon group, now reflects the cultural mosaic of Canada.

Real Life Heroes: Navajo Code Talkers | Silent Heroes (Episode 8): The Medicine Line Series

2014 ; 11:48 minutes ; Grade 6-12

In this episode of Medicine Line, host Dave Gaudet travels to Arizona and New Mexico to Navajo Country to speak with WWII Veteran Teddy Draper Sr. and his vital role as a Navajo Code Talker. At barely 19 years of age, Teddy Drapper Sr. joined the navy. The American army would soon recruit Teddy and other Navajo men to use their language as a secret code. They were only ones able to use and decipher the codes and were a critical element to help win the war.

James David Moses | Stories of Courage

2016 ; 02:24 minutes ; Grade 6-12

Canadian Indigenous soldiers were important in our World War I activities. James David Moses, from the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario, was part of Winnipeg's integrated 107th battalion, with over half of its soldiers being Indigenous. When his bomber failed to return on April 1, 1918, he was presumed dead. During WW I approximately 4,000 of the 630,000 soldiers in Canada's armed forces were of indigenous descent and many became legendary scouts and snipers. They proved that "Courage is the foundation of integrity".

Francis Pegahmagabow | Rooted in Stone: The Shield Series

2010 ; 04:07 Minutes ; Grade 6-12

A Shawanaga First Nation member, Francis Pegahmagabow became one of the most decorated snipers of World War I and when he returned, he was one of the first activists for Indigenous rights.

Forgotten Warriors

1997 ; 51:19 minutes ; Ages 15 to 17

Mini-Lesson

This documentary introduces us to thousands of Indigenous Canadians who enlisted and fought alongside their countrymen and women during World War II, even though they could not be conscripted. Ironically, while they fought for the freedom of others, they were being denied equality in their own country and returned home to find their land seized.

Loretta Todd's poignant film offers forth the testimony of those who were there, and how they managed to heal.

Gene Boy Came Home

2007 ; 24:35 minutes ; Ages 15 to 16 ; THIS FILM DEALS WITH MATURE SUBJECT MATTER. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED

This short documentary by celebrated filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin is a portrait of Eugene "Gene Boy" (pronounced Genie Boy) Benedict, from Odanak Indian Reserve (near Montreal, Quebec). At 17, he enlisted in the US Marines and was sent to the frontlines of the Vietnam War. This film is the account of his 2 years of service and his long journey back to Odanak afterwards.

Who Were the Navajo Code Talkers of the Second World War?: A History Minute with David Rubenstein Series

2023 ; 01:00 minutes ; Grade 9-12, Post Secondary

Most secret codes developed during the Second World War used letters and numbers to convey hidden messages. So how did Navajo code talkers use their language to outwit the Nazis? David Rubenstein answers that question in a fact-filled history minute.

Charles Warren Bird: Indigenous Soldier

2019 ; 02:20 minutes ; Grade 9-12

Thousands of Indigenous people served for Canada during World War II, serving for a country that didn't even recognize them as Canadians. In this segment, Nelson Bird reflects on his father's footsteps along Juno Beach. Charles Nelson Bird was born on the Peepeekisis Cree Nation in Saskatchewan in 1919. He took part in one of the first landings on Juno Beach.

Something to Remember | Wapos Bay Series One

2010 ; 24:00 minutes ; Grade K-8

T-Bear volunteers for an unknown task to avoid decorating the community rink for the Wapos Bay Remembrance Day ceremony. He is to deliver the Remembrance Day tribute speech that will be broadcast on Wapos Bay Aboriginal Radio and on APTN. The enormity of the task sinks in as he prepares gifts of fabric and sweetgrass for the interviews with his Mushom (grandfather) and the Wapos Bay elders. T-Bear is impressed with their historical Canadian military efforts and the use of the Cree language for secret missions, and he gains new understanding of the words “Lest We Forget.” Meanwhile, Raven explores the meaning of “appreciation” when her own gestures of gratitude to a departing teacher are mis-understood. Kohkum says, “Truth depends on our point of view.”