National Aboriginal Veterans Monument

The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument is a war monument in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada that commemorates the contributions of all Aboriginal peoples in war and peacekeeping operations from World War I to the present.^[2] The monument was designed by Lloyd Pinay, of the Peepeekisis First Nation in Saskatchewan, whose father took part in the D-Day assault in World War II.^[3] It was unveiled in Confederation Park by Adrienne Clarkson, then Governor General of Canada, on National Aboriginal Day, June 21, 2001.^[4]

National Aboriginal Veterans Monument
National Aboriginal Veterans Association
National Aboriginal Veterans Monument
For Aboriginal peoples (First Nations, Inuit and Métis) who served with the Canadian forces during armed conflicts
Unveiled	June 21, 2001
Location	45°25′18.04″N 075°41′34.66″W near  Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Designed by	Lloyd Pinay
Commemorated	Up to 12,000[1]

Creation

The bronze monument sits atop a marble base, which was quarried in Shawinigan, Quebec. The monument itself was created in its entirety during 2000 and 2001 on the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Urban Reserve in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, part of Treaty Six Territory. Once completed, it was then disassembled for transport and then reassembled again in Ottawa.

Symbolism

The sculptor, Lloyd Pinay, has said that "the major theme was that the reason for war is in all likelihood a desire for peace".^[3] The monument depicts a golden eagle as the messenger between the Creator and man. The eagle or Thunderbird also symbolizes the Creator and embodies the spirit of the Aboriginal people.^[5] Below the eagle are four human figures, facing the four points of the compass and representing First Nations, Inuit and Métis. Pinay felt it was very important to incorporate female figures in the sculpture to acknowledge the role of women not only as nurses, but as those responsible for maintaining families while the men were away.^[3] The human figures hold not only weapons but also spiritual objects: an eagle feather fan and a peace pipe. There are four animal figures, one on each corner to act as spirit guides, each with a special attribute: a wolf (family values), a buffalo (tenacity), an elk (wariness) and a bear (healing powers).^[3]

See also

• Military history of the Mi’kmaq people
• Military history of the Maliseet people

References

1. "National Aboriginal Veterans Monument". Veterans Affairs Canada. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
2. "National Aboriginal Veterans Association Monument". Virtual Museum of Canada. Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
3. Pohanna Pyne Feinberg. "Lloyd Pinay and the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument". Canadian Heritage Information Network. Archived from the original on 2011-07-03. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
4. "National Aboriginal Veterans Association Monument". National Inventory of Canadian Military Memorials. Canadian Department of National Defence. 2008-04-16. Archived from the original on 2014-05-20. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
5. "War Monument Project". National Aboriginal Vererans Association. Retrieved 2012-01-10.