Teacher’s discussion notes

Here are some key points to help you support class discussions before and after the slideshow.

Indigenous military service

• Indigenous people have a long tradition of military service in our country. They have taken part in every conflict and major military operation that Canada has ever had.
• Exact numbers are hard to come by, but more than 12,000 Indigenous people bravely served in the Canadian military during the First World War, Second World War and Korean War. Indigenous people continue to proudly serve in the Canadian Armed Forces today. 
• Many brave Indigenous people earned medals for bravery during the major conflicts of the 20th century. However, these contributions came at a high price as hundreds of them lost their lives.
• During the First World War in particular, the traditional lifestyles of many First Nations, Inuit and Métis people gave them skills that were very useful in the army. The stealth and shooting ability required to hunt and live off the land led to some Indigenous recruits becoming snipers (military sharpshooters) and scouts (soldiers who quietly slip behind enemy lines to gather information).
• Indigenous people have shared the same challenges and hardships that all Canadians in uniform must face in performing their demanding roles. However, Indigenous recruits often had to overcome discrimination to serve in uniform due to the racist attitudes of some recruiters and fellow service members.
• During the opening months of the First World War, for example, some Indigenous people were turned away when they tried to enlist. High casualty rates and the need for more troops changed that official policy. There was also no exemption for conscription when it was introduced later in the war, even though promises made during treaty negotiations excused them from mandatory service in foreign wars.
• After returning to civilian life, Indigenous Veterans frequently could not access the same supports that non-Indigenous Veterans could, like receiving financial benefits or land for farming.

Chief Joseph Dreaver

• Joseph Dreaver was born on what is now known as the Mistawasis Nêhiyawak First Nation in central Saskatchewan in June 1891. He was the grandson of Chief Mistawasis, a chief of the Plains Cree who signed Treaty 6 with the British Crown in 1876.
• He joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in March 1916, at the height of the First World War. He was a sapper (a soldier who helped build things like trenches, roads and bridges). He served on the front lines of France and Belgium with the 107th Pioneer Battalion and the 3rd Battalion Canadian Engineers.
• Corporal Joseph Dreaver was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery during the First World War. Military records are unclear, but he either earned the medal during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium in October 1917, or in the crossing of the Canal du Nord in France in September 1918. Joseph left England to return to Canada in April 1919.
• Joseph’s brothers Frank and William also served in the First World War. Frank was killed near Vimy Ridge in April 1917, while William was wounded in the fighting at Vimy. His health broken, William died soon after returning to Canada.
• Joseph served again in the Second World War. At age 48, he was too old for front line service but he joined the Veterans Guard of Canada and spent four years watching over prisoners of war at an internment camp in Alberta. Joseph also helped inspire other members of the Mistawasis First Nation to join up during this conflict, personally driving 18 men from his home community to the army recruitment centre in Saskatoon in 1939.
• Despite his impressive military service, Joseph Dreaver faced discrimination after the war. For example, First Nations members living on reserves were not allowed to vote in federal elections until 1960 even though Indigenous service members had been allowed to vote while in the armed forces. Most First Nations Veterans did not receive the same access to or quality of service benefits such as land from the government to start a farm.
• Other kinds of discrimination were also part of Indigenous Veterans’ lives. Until the first half of the 20th century in some regions of Canada, it was common practice that First Nations people needed passes to leave their own communities. Joseph Dreaver was stopped on his way to a gathering at another First Nation and was told he should have requested permission to travel. He explained that no one had asked him to inform the authorities when he left his community to fight in Europe during the First World War, so he didn’t feel he needed to now. He was able to keep driving to his destination.
• After the First World War, Joseph Dreaver held important leadership roles. He was chief of the Mistawasis First Nation for more than 40 years. He also served on the Senate of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians and advocated for Indigenous rights.
• The Dreaver family’s military tradition continued into the next generation. Four of Joseph’s children – two daughters and two sons – also served in the Second World War. One of them, Sergeant Harvey Dreaver, joined the Regina Rifles Regiment and landed at Juno Beach on D-Day. He was killed in action in Belgium in October 1944, during the Battle of the Scheldt.
• Joseph Dreaver was a giant in the Saskatchewan Indigenous community. He died on the Mistawasis First Nation in February 1978 at the age of 86.