Indigenous Peoples have been part of Canada鈥檚 military history dating back to the War of 1812, when it鈥檚 estimated more than 10,000 First Nations people fought.

More than 7,000 Indigenous people later served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Many continue to serve today.

Wednesday is National Aboriginal Veterans Day, which was first observed in Winnipeg in 1994.

The Canadian Press spoke with three Indigenous soldiers about why they enlisted:

Wendy Jocko, 63, from Pikw脿kanag脿n First Nation in Ontario

Jocko hails from generations of Canadian soldiers. The first was Constant Pinesi, an influential grand chief of the Algonquins, who fought with the British during the War of 1812.

鈥淚t has been said that if it wasn鈥檛 for Indigenous warriors, Canada might not be Canada, because they were quite skilful in their tactics,鈥� says Jocko.

Four of her uncles served in the First World War, but only two came home. Her father and his six brothers fought in the Second World War.

Jocko calls herself a 鈥渨ar baby.鈥� While in Europe, her father met her mother, a Scottish soldier.

She says she wanted to join the military since she was four and did so when she was 19.

Being a woman at the time wasn鈥檛 advantageous, she says. 鈥淭here was a bit of prejudice happening there.鈥�

鈥淭he hardship I experienced as a child put me in a good place for life in the field, in the military.鈥�

She was a supply technician for 23 years and served in NATO peacekeeping missions in Bosnia in 1993 and 1998. The devastation and human misery were sad to witness, she says.

Jocko rose to sergeant and retired in 2002. In 2020, she became chief of Pikw脿kanag脿n.

She encouraged her son, James McMullin, to join the military as well. He later left the military and died last month at the age of 38.

Jocko says she has chosen to have him laid to rest on National Aboriginal Veterans Day at Pikwanagan.

Chuck Issacs, 59, M茅tis from St. Albert, Alta.

Isaacs says his maternal grandfather served as an engineer during the Second World War. He didn鈥檛 speak much about the war but had a room at home full of guns.

鈥淔rom five-years old, when we would visit my grandparents, we would go outside. Me and my two brothers would be given a box of ammunition and direction on what to do.鈥�

Isaacs paternal grandfather was an armoured officer in the Second World War and also didn鈥檛 talk about his time in battle.

鈥淎s I grew up, I realized that many of the people I was surrounded by were either veterans of the Second World War or veterans of Korea.鈥�

Issacs says he saw the financial stability military officers had, which drew him into the military.

鈥淭here were other Indigenous Peoples there with me, not that we acknowledged that or talked about it. But there were a lot more people with a like sense of humour that I had grown up with.鈥�

It was like being introduced to a bunch of brothers and sisters, he says.

In 1992, Issacs was deployed as a combat engineer to the former Yugoslavia. He established friendships with locals and retrieved intelligence information. He also 鈥渃leared mines and ordinates and tried to make the country safe.鈥�

Issacs left the military in 2001 and ran a promotional products company.

He now helps young Indigenous people wanting to get involved in the military and is the president of the Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta.

For the last four years, he鈥檚 been recruiting for the Bold Eagle program, which combines Indigenous culture and teachings with military training.

Pte. Carter Eyahpaise, 21, from Beardy鈥檚 and Okemasis鈥� Cree Nation, Sask.

Eyahpaise says he鈥檚 proud to be a Willow Cree soldier raised at Beardy鈥檚 and Okemasis鈥� Cree Nation near Prince Albert, Sask.

He recently graduated from the Bold Eagle program in Alberta and loved it so much that he decided to join the North Saskatchewan Regiment of the Forces near his home reserve.

Eyahpaise says he was inspired by his great-grandfather Stanley Eyahpaise of the Queen鈥檚 Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada in Winnipeg. He was killed in France during the Second World War.

鈥淚 wanted to be great like he was. He was part of Juno Beach in the second wave,鈥� says the younger Eyahpaise.

Wearing a uniform was a big dream growing up, he adds.

鈥淎nd I was always into video games like 鈥淐all of Duty,鈥� 鈥淢edal of Honor,鈥� and all of that stuff.鈥�

Eyahpaise says his family is proud of him for enlisting, but it worries his mother.

He says he wants to work his way up the ranks to become a captain someday.

鈥淚 really wanted to be a part of something.鈥�

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