National Aboriginal Veterans Day in Canada Date in the current year: November 8, 2024

National Aboriginal Veterans Day was inaugurated in Winnipeg in 1994, and has since become a nationwide observance. However, the federal government of Canada hasn’t recognized it officially yet.

This memorial day is dedicated to indigenous Canadians who served in the Canadian Armed Forces, especially during the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. According to statistics provided by Veterans Affairs Canada, more than 7,000 aboriginal people served in Korea. However, this number does not include non-status Indians, Métis or Inuit. With them, the actual total is thought to be closer to 12,000.

When aboriginal veterans returned home from Korea, many of them got caught in the bureaucratic red tape. Some of them were denied the support and services offered to non-aboriginals, while others lost the benefits provided to the aboriginals living on reserves. Due to bureaucratic issues, many of them received no compensation because the Department of Veterans Affairs believed that the compensations should be paid by the Department of Indian Affairs, and vice versa.