Indigenous Veterans were not given the respect by the government as they deserved, so the Kamloops Indian Band erected the Shuswap War Veterans Memorial Site to show Indigenous Veterans that they are truly respected. This memorial is for the Veterans and also for those of the past, present and future that struggle for freedom and justice.
There are two cairns. One includes the eternal flame directly in front and has an epitaph engraved plaque. The coyote rock on top is symbolic of the creator and the spiritual presence within the Shuswap Nation. The rock is supported by stones of various sizes and shapes, each individually unique as the Shuswap who have risen to battle for freedom. In the foreground, reclining rocks represent the soldiers who have fallen in battle. The eternal flame is symbolic of the Shuswap spirit, which will never die. The bronze plaque contains several symbols - the round form represents the wheel of life that we all travel and the four eagle feathers on the face represent the four directions that we travel in life's journey. At the top of the plaque is the staff and pipe which were presented to the Shuswap Chiefs by Queen Victoria. They depict the union of our nations and are bound by a leather thong, which is the bond we have taken to fight together for freedom of all people.
Another cairn has a plaque listing the names of the honoured and the theatre in which they fought. A duplicate of this plaque is at the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc Administration Building.
The unveiling on November 11, 1990, was attended by Wilfred Matthews, the highest ranking Indigenous Veteran. The opening speech was spoken in Shuswap by Ricardo. The drum group performed the Veteran song that was composed by a fellow from the United States. The song talks about the Veterans that have gone to war and came back and the ones that didn't come back, that their spirits be blessed. The eternal flame was lit by the Kamloops Veterans.
