Remebrance Day an Important Time for
Grand Chief Ray Sanderson
by Armand LaPlante
For Indigenous Times News
Photo by Armand LaPlante
Saskatoon, SK - Every year the Nation comes together to honor and remember
those who have provided military service to preserve our freedoms and
privileges. Although the sacrifices of veterans are worthy of praise every day
of the year, November 11th is important because we remember and
thank the veterans as an aggregate – as a community. When we all come together,
our voices are louder, our praise is felt.
This time of year is also very important personally for
veteran Ray Sanderson, Grand Chief of the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans
Association (SFNVA). Sanderson is from the Chakastaypasin Band and was elected
as President of the SFNVA in April of 2012. Sanderson has a history of military
service within his family. Sanderson
served two tours of duty with NATO forces in Germany; he had cousins who fought
in Korea, uncles who fought in World War II, and two grandfathers who fought in
World War I. Every year Sanderson takes this time to remember his family and
fellow veterans. “I have an uncle buried
in France. This is the time to remember
that, to never forget what they did for us.”
Under his title with the SFNVA, Sanderson now looks after
some 200 members in the Veterans’ Association including war veterans and war
widows. There remain six veterans who served in World War II in SFNVA
membership, four who went overseas to serve and two who stayed. There are also
veterans who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and more recently Afghanistan.
The whole situation with First Nations veterans is a “unique
one” says Sanderson. “The First Nations veterans, they didn’t have to go to
war, they were exempt because of treaty but they volunteered to go to war, so
it’s a very unique situation.”
One prominent initiative the SFNVA has actualized is the
Grave Marker Program whereby graves of Veterans are appropriately located and
labelled. This is done through a series of processes including researching
information on the veteran including date of birth, death, military regimental
number, regiment, etc. the end result being to ensure adequate commemoration
for these war heroes.
Grand Chief Ray Sanderson will be busy this Remembrance week traveling the province, attending Remembrance Day services. Sanderson explains that Remembrance Day is a
time to “Remember and honor the veterans that served, that went overseas in the war, that made the
sacrifice and also the ones that made the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. I thank them for the freedom we enjoy today. I thank them for the freedom for my children
and grandchildren. We thank them and remember them every year for that.”
More information on the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans
Association can be found on the FSIN website including planned SFNVA
fundraising initiatives. This year may we remember those who sacrificed for our
freedom, and remember the debt we owe to our armed forces.
