During the week leading up to Remembrance Day, the importance of remembering all the Canadians who fought is essential to our Canadian identity. Remembering all the soldiers is important and the indigenous soldiers who fought as well. Many Indigenous men brought valuable skills with them when they joined the military. Coming from communities where hunting was a cornerstone of daily life. These attributes helped many of these soldiers become effective marksmen and soldiers. However, they had to overcome many challenges:  

• learn a new language. 

• adapt to cultural differences.

• Travel great distances from their remote communities just to enlist.

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We talked about one soldier, in particular, Francis Pegahmagabow. Francis Pegahmagabow was a First Nations soldier. He is the most decorated (most war medals) Indigenous soldier in Canada. Fast and agile, he was assigned the job of a messenger. Pegahmagabow had to relay battlefield tactics from central command to the most vulnerable soldiers at the front. As a runner, Pegahmagabow is an open target for enemy fire. Running through the trenches while everyone else is taking cover takes a tremendous amount of courage. He was brave, being a messenger put Francis in the most dangerous of situations. He left a lasting legacy and when he returned home Pegahmagabow turned his fighting spirit to the battle for Indigenous rights becoming chief of Wasauksing. He helped establish a national organization to focus the many voices of Indigenous peoples across Canada. Today, we call that organization the Assembly of First Nations.

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