Nearly 60 years after her brother was killed in action on March 12, 1969, Penny Fedorus now knows his name will live on long into the future, thanks to an expansion of the Métis veteran’s monument at Métis Crossing.
Métis Crossing, owned by the Otipemisiwak Métis Government, unveiled an upgraded and expanded monument honouring Métis veterans on Sunday. Following extensive research, more than 4,000 veterans have been added to recognize the contributions of Métis soldiers in wars dating back to pre-Confederation.
The monument now holds more than 7,000 names.
A mild November day at the site marked Indigenous Veterans Day for those attending the service about 120 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
Fedorus said her brother, Gordon White, is one of those new names on the monument. She remembers the day the family learned of his death during the Vietnam War â they were visiting Edmonton from Fort McMurray, Alta.
“A bunch of them went shopping and I was in the room with my dad when my cousin brought the telegram,” Fedorus told CBC News in an interview.
“And I’ve never seen anyone so heartbroken as my dad was.”
Penny Fedorus is glad her brother’s name will live on because it’s been added to a monument honouring Métis veterans. (Bob Grieve/CBC)
White was the oldest brother and Fedorus is the youngest sibling, which she said gave them a special bond. She said her brother sat with her the night before he was set to be redeployed after a leave, and sang her Green, Green Grass of Home.
“When he finished, he said, ‘You know, I might not come back, but be strong because mom and dad are going to need you,'” she said.
Fedorus said her sister did the bulk of the work with the Métis government to get Gordon’s name added. She died in August, and Fedorus said it was important to attend the unveiling to honour her as well.
“My mom’s biggest fear is that he would be forgotten and each time we unveil his name, it just brings it one step closer [to being] remembered forever,” she said.
“And we’re sharing our stories with the younger ones now.”
Communities across Canada mark Indigenous Veterans Day
Dana Urban fought with White as a Marine in Vietnam. Urban said he was just across a river from White when he died.
Urban said White was “very close and dear” to him, and added that White talked about his family all the time.
On the day he was killed, Urban said White was walking point for the platoon he was leading.
“In the Marine Corps, only the trusted and only the best would be allowed to walk point, because it was the most dangerous position to be in,” Urban said.
Dana Urban fought with Gordon White in Vietnam. (Bob Grieve/CBC)
“The fact that he was walking point that day in a very dangerous situation speaks to the trust everyone had in him and the courage.”
Urban said when he came home, he just tried to forget about the war. But he and White’s family were reunited at an event and have spent a lot of time together since then. He said he’s grateful for their friendship, and that days like Indigenous Veterans Day are crucial.
Fedorus and Urban embrace in front of the monument that now bears the name of Fedorus’s brother and Urban’s friend: Gordon White. (Bob Grieve/CBC)
Chuck Isaacs, president of both the Aboriginal Veterans Society and the Métis Veterans of Alberta Council, said recognition for Indigenous veterans still has a long way to go.
“I’ll be invited to Ottawa, but they are inviting me to have me sit in a chair at the back of the room. And that’s not inclusion,” he told CBC News in an interview.
“Inclusion is having the Indigenous people front and centre at some point and the whole country celebrating the fact that there’s Indigenous people that fought for this country long before it was ever Canada.”
Chuck Isaacs says he hopes one day there won’t be a need for a separate day to remember Indigenous veterans. But right now, that need still exists. (Bob Grieve/CBC)
Veterans Affairs Canada estimates about 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis people served in Canadaâs military during the 20th century.Â
Indigenous Veterans Day was established in 1994 to honour them and recognize that many were denied the same benefits as non-Indigenous soldiers. It is observed each year on Nov. 8, just ahead of Remembrance Day and Métis Week in Alberta.
Isaacs pointed out that Indigenous veterans were routinely barred from joining Legions and were not allowed to participate in Remembrance Day. He added that Indigenous people weren’t even allowed to vote unconditionally until 1960.
He said some veterans returning to civilian life in Indigenous communities lack the services they need and have a hard time adjusting.
“There is no authentic effort to go out to those communities and reach out to those people that have fallen through the cracks. And that is a big concern for me,â he said.
Until more changes are made, Isaac said days like Indigenous Veterans Day are still crucial.
“It’s important to us because it gives us a little bit of recognition,” Isaacs said.
“Hopefully one day through reconciliation, those Nov. 8 and Nov. 11 [ceremonies] can join again when they add some Indigenous portions to the Remembrance Day ceremony on [Nov.] 11.”
