Indigenous people have played a vital part in the war efforts over the years. There are stories of men playing certain roles, such as the famous story of Cree code talkers in World War II. There have also been stories of Indigenous war veterans not receiving the same compensation as non-Indigenous veterans.
This story is about family, fun, fitness, and forgiveness all rolled into one.
Melodie Greyeyes, who resides in Parkland County in Alberta, went to Ottawa recently, because her late father, Marcel Greyeyes, originally from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, (part of Treaty Six Territory) was being honoured as an Indigenous war veteran. I spoke with her mother, Doris Greyeyes, who resides along 18 acres of land, on the banks of the South Saskatchewan River, just down the road from One Arrow First Nation in southern Saskatchewan.
Doris, who is originally from Little Black Bear Band in Treaty Four Territory, said when she looked out the window that morning, she saw eagles flying overhead. Apparently, this area is known to be home to several eagles. Melodie also told me when she attended her father’s funeral that she also looked up and saw several eagles flying above her. To Indigenous People the eagle represents good feelings, blessings, and is a powerful spirit in ceremonies.
Doris reflected on her late husband, Marcel Greyeyes, who had passed away in September of this year. She said Marcel, who was part of the 2nd Battalion Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry, was stationed in Edmonton for a number of years. She said, “We spent most of our time in Edmonton, and we were married in 1966. So, this year was our 55th wedding anniversary. Yet, his sudden death caught the whole family off-guard.
Doris talked about her husband Marcel and his career in the Canadian Military, she said, “he didn’t go to war. He always worked in peacetime. Back in 1970, he was part of a two-week experience in Quebec during the FLQ crisis. “He was in the airborne regiment at that time, and his regiment was the one that went in to do reconnaissance in the middle of the city of Montreal. They flew over the city, and they were ready to repel down if things got out of hand. Doris said Pierre Elliott Trudeau, Justin Trudeau’s father, was the one who implemented the War Measures Act. This was the closest Marcel ever came to conflict.
Doris reflected on how, as a military family, her and her husband lived in a variety of places: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Germany, but spent most of their time in Edmonton. Doris said that her and her husband were always family focused, their family was very close. They travelled together and always stayed in touch with each other. Her son even went into the military, retiring recently. Even though her two daughters didn’t go into the military, they always felt that growing up in a military family gave them a good foundation.
Daughter Shawna said, “I was always proud to come from a military family even before I knew how much Muskeg Lake honoured their veterans. It was such an influence in my later teen years that I accidentally ended up serving a year right out of high school. I tried very hard because many of our trainers (for example our drill sergeant) knew Dad and so I had to be good to not embarrass him. That’s just the way I felt, it was nothing my dad said, but I could tell there was respect for him and that made me proud.” She added, “Before Dad was stationed in Germany, I didn’t really feel the impact of a military life. We had always had our separate family life: camping, travelling and visiting our own extended family every summer. I remember that it wasn’t military that had our family travelling every summer, but Dad’s golf tournaments. I also believe the military made our family stronger, because often there is only each other.”
Shawna said, “When we moved to Germany that was the first time I remember what a PMQ was. I remember I was a very shy and quiet girl up to that time, when I was just moving into my teen years. I do believe that many of the social skills (what they call “emotional intelligence” now) I have to today is a result of the moves across Canada and across the ocean. When I found myself the ‘new kid’ so many times I learned to adapt and develop good social skills. I missed growing up at home in Saskatchewan, but my education, travel and experience of new places offset that in many ways. My dad is still one of the men I most respect today and I always will.”
Doris said fun and fitness was a major part of her husband’s life and is what they experienced as a family. Marcel was an excellent athlete and was involved in boxing and golf in the military. He even came close to competing in the Olympics. The military was glad to have him representing them. Being involved in fitness as a lifestyle, also led him to being part of the Gold Eagle Program that runs out of Wainwright, Alberta. A summer boot camp program designed for Indigenous youth. As I listened to Doris talk about her husband and family, I soon realized that Marcel’s love for fitness and fun definitely overlapped into his personal family life; especially with all the camping they did.
Because there are stories out there of Indigenous war veterans not being honoured or recognized, I asked Doris about this with regards to her husband’s story. She said that she has seen that Alberta and Saskatchewan have been great at honouring their war veterans and that included Indigenous war veterans. Both of their home communities have been good at acknowledging it’s war veterans. She said many indigenous people really didn’t have to go to war, but they wanted to serve their country. She also said that because Marcel worked for the military his whole life, they had a good life and were looked after.
Doris said she was at Lebret Indian Residential School for 12 years and Marcel was at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School for about eight years. Then she said before her husband died in September of this year, that she and Marcel had several conversations about their reflections on all their years in residential school. They both concluded that the best thing they can do is to forgive. Yes, there were things that happened in those schools that weren’t right, but the type of education that they received from the nuns was of good quality. They were good teachers. She said that when a person can get to the point, where they can repeat the words of Christ when he said,” forgive them for they know not what they do,” then a person can move forward.
After listening to Doris talk about her husband’s life experience, and how she and her children benefited from his role as husband, father, and military man, it was easy to conclude that Marcel Greyeyes life really stood out. When someone in the military receives a special honour, they receive a medal or an award of some kind. In honour of Marcel and the impact of his life, I would like to give his family a posthumous award of possessing a huge heart. A heart that was filled with the love of family, fun, fitness, and forgiveness. This is the legacy that his wife and children are still living out.
Parry Stelter is a Cree and Métis member of Alexander First Nation which is part of Treaty Six Territory. He’s a Chaplain at the Salvation Army and a doctoral candidate in contextu-al leadership at Providence University.
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