The names of thousands of Metis Veterans are now etched into a memorial at Batoche.
The Metis Veterans Memorial was first unveiled in 2014, and this year they had the funds to engrave the names of more than 5,000 Metis men and women who have served in Canada’s Armed Forces.
Metis National Council President Clement Chartier took a moment during the opening ceremonies of Back to Batoche to acknowledge those veterans.
“Our veterans played a great role in defending, not only our nation and leading our people, but also defending world peace,” he said.
The monument itself states that Metis have a history of defending their own right to be free people, something that Chartier echoed in his speech.
This year marks the 200-year anniversary of the Victory of Frog Plain in Alberta.
“(It’s) basically the victory of the Metis people standing up to the Hudson’s Bay company and to the monopoly that they were trying to impose and the rigour they were trying to impose on the Metis and that was a significant step forward for the Metis Nation,” he said.
When Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett was at Back to Batoche, she acknowledged the historic bravery of Metis people.
“We pay tribute to Metis veterans of two World Wars, the Korean War and the South African War. The spirit and bravery of their predecessors was just as evident as they overcame incredible difficulties to enlist and to serve,” she said.
This weekend, Back to Batoche hosted a commemorative ceremony for the addition of the names to the Metis Veterans Memorial Monument.
Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale took part in the weekend ceremony.
He tweeted that he is proud to honour Metis Veterans, who he calls “nation builders.”
Fundraising for this memorial space was led by the Gabriel Dumont Institute and included contributions from the Clarence Campeau Development Fund, Veteran Affairs Canada, provincial grants and other donations.