November is Indigenous Peoples Awareness Month, an opportunity for us to celebrate Indigenous culture, traditions, and heritage while continuing to engage in Truth and Reconciliation. There are many diverse communities of Indigenous Peoples, each with rich histories and legacies. In the month of November, we honour the Indigenous leaders of the past and present and increase awareness of Indigenous voices today.

Days of importance including Treaties Recognition Week, National Indigenous Veteran’s Day and Louis Riel Day remind us of the immense contributions made by Indigenous Peoples in Canada.  

Treaties Recognition Week (external link) – November 6 to 12:

Treaties Recognition Week honours the importance of treaties, treaty rights, treaty obligations and the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Peoples. By recognizing and understanding treaties, we help to build a future centered on a mutual commitment towards Reconciliation, respect and equity. 

National Indigenous Veterans Day  – November 8:

This day honours the approximately 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples who served in the World Wars, the Korean War and later conflicts. National Indigenous Veterans Day also recognizes Indigenous Peoples’ military contributions within Canada and acknowledges that veteran rights and benefits were unevenly distributed to Indigenous survivors.

Louis Riel Day – November 16:

This day honours Louis Riel’s success in negotiating Manitoba into Confederation and the protection of minority language rights. This laid the foundation for a vision of Canada that included both the Métis Nation and protected Métis rights.

Image of the Louis Riel Monument in Manitoba, Winnipeg.

Honouring Indigenous Veterans

It is important to recognize the key contributions Indigenous Veterans have made to Canada’s military service and their deep roots in the Canadian Armed Forces. Approximately 12,000 First Nations, Inuit and Métis People served in the World Wars, the Korean War and later conflicts around the world.

This month we can also take time to acknowledge the treatment Indigenous Veterans faced after returning home from battle. After the First World War, many Indigenous Veterans found that they were not offered the same assistance programs as other returning soldiers. Indigenous soldiers were also stripped of their Indian status in one of two ways during the Second World War. In some cases, before enlisting Indigenous soldiers were made to enfranchise and give up status in order to fight. In other cases, these soldiers did not find out they lost Indian status until after they returned home. While Indigenous soldiers were away from home, some Indian reserve land was sold and leased to non-Indigenous farmers to aid the war efforts.

To learn more about the history of Indigenous veterans, please visit:

• Indigenous Veterans – Veterans Affairs Canada (external link)
• Aboriginal Veterans Tribute List (external link)
• The Canadian Encyclopedia: Indigenous People and the World Wars (external link)
• Aboriginal War Heroes – More Than a Few Good Men (Bob Joseph) (external link)
• Remembering & Honouring Indigenous War Heroes: World War 1 & 2 (external link)
• Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones (external link)

Celebrating Indigenous Leaders

During this month of celebration, we also recognize Indigenous leaders of the past and present and increase awareness of Indigenous voices today. From historical figures Louis Riel (external link) and Chief Tecumseh (external link) to The Honourable Justice Michelle O'Bonsawin (external link) and Her Excellency The Right Honourable Mary Simon (external link), Indigenous leaders continue to make substantial contributions to Indigenous communities and Canadian society.

I encourage everyone to devote time this month to recognize the important contributions of Indigenous Peoples in Halton and across Canada. There are many ways you can do this, including:

• reading books from Indigenous authors, including:
  • The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King;
  • Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese;
  • 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph;
  • Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis and Inuit Issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel; and
  • Stolen Continents by Ronald White;
• reviewing resources such as the Archives of Ontario James Bay Treaty virtual exhibit (external link) and videos of Indigenous speakers (external link) sharing their knowledge about the importance of treaties, treaty relationships and rights in Ontario. You can also learn more about Ontario treaties and reserves (external link); and
• reading the stories of Indigenous Veterans like Francis Pegahmagabow (external link), Tommy Prince, Noel Knockwood (external link) and Edith (Anderson) Monture.

For more information about Halton’s ongoing work to build meaningful relationships with Indigenous People and Communities, please visit halton.ca. By commemorating this important month, we honour all Indigenous Peoples and their contributions that make Halton a great place to live, work, raise a family and retire.