Lesson one: Explore Indigenous military contributions and meet Chief Joseph Dreaver
Objectives
Students will:
- learn about the contributions and sacrifices of Indigenous people in uniform over the years; and
- develop an understanding of the remarkable military service of Chief Joseph Dreaver.
Resources
- Indigenous Veterans web feature, including:
- Indigenous soldiers, foreign battlefields historical booklet,
- video interviews
- Veteran profiles
- Indigenous military service and Chief Joseph Dreaver illustrated slideshow (with embedded speakers notes)
History
Adjust the amount of historical background you share with your class according to the needs and ages of the students. Before you begin the lesson, you may wish to personally explore Veterans Affairs Canada’s Indigenous Veterans web feature for some broader historical context on this subject.
Our Indigenous military service and Chief Joseph Dreaver slideshow offers historical information and imagery to support this activity. You may wish to share some talking points specific to this presentation to expand on the subject with your class.
You could also compliment this activity by showing a short video about the contributions of Indigenous people in uniform. Many excellent resources exist. Here are a few examples:
- GeoMinute: Honouring Indigenous Veterans in the Canadian Armed Forces (Canadian Geographic)
- Remembrance Moments: Indigenous Veterans (Veterans Affairs Canada)
- Heroes Remember: Indigenous Veterans (Veterans Affairs Canada)
Activity
Step 1 – Introduction and slideshow
Verbally introduce the subject of Indigenous military service with the amount of detail you feel is appropriate. Explain that it can be hard to appreciate and understand the experiences of a large group of people because the scale is overwhelming.
As a window into this important subject, the class will spend time learning about one exceptional Indigenous soldier. Chief Joseph Dreaver was a First and Second World War Veteran from the Mistawasis First Nation in Saskatchewan. He was also an important leader in his community.
Show the students the slideshow about Indigenous military service and Chief Joseph Dreaver.
Step 2 – Class discussion
After the slideshow is complete, lead a class discussion about what students learned. Building on the talking points for this lesson, here are some broad questions you may wish to explore:
- Do you know anyone in our community or in your family who has served in the Canadian military?
- Do you know of any Indigenous people who have served in Canada’s armed forces? If no, why do you think that might be?
- What do you think it was like for new recruits – whether Indigenous people or other Canadians – to leave home and risk their lives to serve in a major war?
- How do you think Indigenous service members were able to overcome the challenges they faced to serve in such large numbers and with great distinction?
- What part of Chief Joseph Dreaver’s story impacted you the most?
- Why do you think so many Indigenous people volunteered to fight for a country that did not give them the same rights as other groups in Canada?
- What kind of similarities or contrasts do you think there might be between the experiences of Indigenous recruits in the first half of the 20th century versus today?
This lesson can stand alone as an opportunity for students to learn about Indigenous military service. However, we suggest you build on it with a follow-up activity centered on a special painting of Chief Joseph Dreaver, along with youth creating their own remembrance artwork.
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