The nephew of a First Nations War Hero says he sees more aboriginal kids turning to the military these days.
Jim Bear is the chief of the BrokenHead Ojibway Nation.
He’s also the nephew of Tommy Prince, a decorated war hero, who fought in the second world war.
Recently a monument to Prince in Winnipeg was desecrated.
As a result it is being repaired and moved across the city.
Bear says he feels bad about what happened, but says his uncle’s legacy lives on through measures like the Bold Eagle Program.
Designed to recruit Aboriginal youth the program incorporate techniques like grouping First Nations soldiers together to address the isolation factor.
Bear says he thinks more youth are beginning to join the ranks:
“Our youth are given kinds of labels, and to see a lot of these youth who are really trying to make a good livelihood for themselves and to see a lot of them going into the military which means they’re not only going for themselves but for men and women of other races.”
Bear travelled to Alberta last year to witness a graduation of Bold Eagle recruits and says it was a good feeling.