An Indigenous veteran places a poppy on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier following a Remembrance Day ceremony at the National War Memorial, Thursday, November 11, 2021 in Ottawa. Veterans Affairs Canada says it's sending a group abroad to acknowledge the graves of Indigenous soldiers who helped to liberate the Netherlands during the Second World War.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
OTTAWA – Veterans Affairs Canada says there are plans to honour the graves of Indigenous soldiers who helped liberate the Netherlands during the Second World War.
The Indigenous Legacy Project, which was founded earlier this year, says it has identified 81 Indigenous soldiers buried in the northwestern European country.
It says the delegation abroad will include family and representatives of 13 of the recently identified soldiers, elders, representatives of Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones and the deputy minister of Veterans Affairs.
As many as 175,000 Canadians took part in the liberation campaign beginning in 1944, and more than 7,600 of them died.
Veterans Affairs Canada says the initiative aims to recognize the contributions of Indigenous Peoples in the Second World War and foster a connection to their shared history.
The Liberation of the Netherlands was Canada’s last major contribution to helping the Allies achieve victory in Europe during the Second World War.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2023.
