Honouring, remembering and reflecting: SCO holds First Nations Veterans Summit

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization honoured First Nations veterans in Winnipeg over the weekend.

The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) held its annual First Nations Veterans Summit on Sunday.

Gathered at the Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites at 1800 Wellington Ave, the organization convened to honour and remember the service and sacrifice of Indigenous veterans. Program manager of the SCO Justin Woodcock said it was also a moment to “look back on the past few years of the First Nations veteran program.”

“A lot of the veterans that come to our office looking for support are seeking assistance with their Veterans Affairs claims,” he said. “We also provide monthly cultural events like drum making workshops, sweat lodge ceremonies so that veterans can heal some of their service-related trauma that they may have endured.”

Woodcock added they do a monthly encampment walks, trying to find unhoused veterans to connect them with available services, citing End Homelessness Winnipeg’s data stating “veterans made up nearly six per cent of all unhoused individuals surveyed.

“We need to make sure that those folks know that there are supports for them and that our program is here to lift them up.”

He celebrated the recent passing of Bill 210 in the legislature - permanently recognizing Nov. 8 as the Indigenous Veterans Day in Manitoba.

“We were consulted on the language of the bill – myself and Grand Chief Jerry Daniels of SCO, and we’re really happy that it has come to fruition and it’s been passed.”