Evidence of meeting #89 for Veterans Affairs in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was indigenous.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Wallace J. Bona  President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta
Phillip Ledoux  Vice-President, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan First Nation Veterans Association
Veronica Morin  As an Individual

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

I'd just like to mention that we returned from a successful trip across Canada. We started in Millbrook First Nation, Halifax, then the Six Nations reserve, and then Beauval and Victoria. We met over 60 veterans and their families. The weather was cold, but the trip was successful.

Today, we continue the study of the needs and issues specific to indigenous veterans.

We have two panels today. First, we have witnesses from Alberta and Saskatchewan in the first panel. We'd like to welcome Wallace J. Bona. He is president of the Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta. He is also the Alberta director for Aboriginal Veterans Autochtones. The Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta was founded by first nations, Métis, and non-status veterans in 1983. The society's mandate is to organize and unite all aboriginal veterans for advocacy and support for each other, and to facilitate activities such as the duties it undertakes for other organizations that call upon them for parade and honouring assistance.

Mr. Bona, we'll turn the floor over to you for 10 minutes, and then we'll go to questions. Thank you for coming here today to meet us.

11:05 a.m.

Wallace J. Bona President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

It's a pleasure to be here, Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee.

I'm new in my position. I was put in this position at the end of April. We perpetuate the memory of our aboriginal veterans. We also promote a federal government program, a youth development program, that is referred to as bold eagle. Bold eagle is for youths 16-29. The vehicle is six weeks of reserve basic training. It gives the young adults a leg-up. Since I've been on board, I've worked with the bold eagle program for about the past year. The past president got me involved, and I've assumed his position of bold eagle coordinator for Alberta.

I released from the military in 2008. They had a civilian, and I can't remember if he was with the Legion service office, or was a person hired for the transition process, but I remember going in and meeting with the gentleman....

Pardon me, I feel like I'm in the principal's office.

11:05 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS

You're the principal. Let 'er rip.

11:05 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

Thank you.

He wanted to bring a point up. He said he noticed on my documentation that I identified as being from one of the indigenous groups. I said I was. He said I needed to be aware that to access benefits, now that I was going to be out of the service, there might be interdepartmental wars. Veterans Affairs would say, “He's status Indian, so that's your responsibility.” Then Indian Affairs would come back and say, “No, because he's a veteran that's your responsibility.”

I don't know what impact that's had on me. I know I have struggled since I left the service. It's hard going back to school, which was my intention. I had actually started university, but I was getting memory triggers from some of the material presented in classes, namely English. It was quite interesting. Who would have thought that a math question would invoke a trigger, and it did in one instance for me, so.... That's where I'm at.

There's another issue, since I got on board. I was talking with an elder a few weeks ago at a powwow, and he mentioned that there are actually aboriginal veterans living on the street in Edmonton. I did some checking, and there's an organization in Edmonton, Boyle Street, that deals mainly with the homeless, and I did point out that there are in fact aboriginal veterans there. I think, with the historical context of colonialism and where there's a high proportion of indigenous peoples in the bigger cities, that rings true.

I did some further checking, and I talked to the Royal Canadian Legion. They indicated that there were some aboriginal veterans who had approached the office trying to access benefits, and they were able to help them out to the extent they could. That's something I want to pursue further when I get back to Edmonton.

The issue is that on one level, we have an indigenous person, and then we have a person who served in the military. I can speak only for myself, but there's a bit of a matter of pride about coming forward and asking for help and stuff like that.

It's been very interesting since I assumed the position of presidency, so to speak. I'm definitely learning more and more. We are marginalized. We're a small demographic, and there's lots to find out there.

A week and a half ago I was up at Gift Lake for a job fair to promote the bold eagle program, and earlier this year we buried a World War II veteran out in Driftpile. I went to his grave, and there's still no marker on it. I don't know if it's a matter of money issues with the band or the family, but I think we'll be able to get Veterans Affairs or the Legion to help out with a suitable grave marker so people will know that, yes, this guy served in the army. Actually, from the stories I've been told, he landed in Normandy on D-Day.

I'm open to questions.

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Neil Ellis

Thank you.

We'll begin our first round of six minutes with Mr. Kitchen.

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Thank you for your service, and thank you for coming today. We appreciate it.

As our chair just mentioned, we just finished a week-long tour across the country and we met with many first nations veterans. I think we would all agree that one of the things that was most powerful about it is how proud these veterans are of their service to Canada, and we appreciate that.

I'm wondering, just for the education of those of us here, where in Alberta your background is.

11:10 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

I presently live in Alberta. I was stationed with the military. I did about 10 days shy of 26 years, but I did a few postings to Alberta, so Alberta is home for me. I grew up in a military family. My father was in the army. He met Mom up in Churchill, and we moved away after I was about a year old, with the military life. It ended up that I joined the service.

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

And you served with?

11:10 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

I was with REME, the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. I was a vehicle technician in the army.

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

You discharged voluntarily, or was it a medical discharge?

11:10 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

It was a medical release, item 3b.

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Do you feel comfortable sharing with us why that was?

11:10 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

Sure. I also did a stint as a paratrooper for about four years. In 2000, I was involved in a vehicle mishap over in Bosnia, and the next five years after that, with the military lifestyle, running with a pack on your back, boots, hard ground, sleeping on the cold ground, it was all cumulative. I was having a few issues before that with my back, but when you're young and you think you're fairly fit....

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

One of the things that we as a committee have learned over the last two and half years is that initially there was not a lot of recognition for providing services for veterans, indigenous or not. Basically, people questioned why they were hurt. When you talk about being a paratrooper jumping out.... The assumption now is that someone's jumping off a tank or parachuting continuously in their job, so there will be long-term degenerative changes to their spine, to their knees, etc.

11:15 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

June 5th, 2018 / 11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Did you have any challenges with that when you dealt with services?

11:15 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

You mean the culture?

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

That's correct.

11:15 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

Yes. It was all about mission first. That's the nature of the training. The job comes first before yourself. In the Cold War, you always had to be ready and prepared, whether you were serving on a ship or on an air base or in the actual field units. It was always like that. Showing any form or any level of weakness was frowned upon. The idea was that you had to get the job done. It wasn't about you. There's nothing about being an individual in the army. It's all about teamwork and seeing it through.

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

You said you served in Bosnia, and I truly believe our soldiers who served in Bosnia are forgotten soldiers. They never get mentioned. People always talk about Yugoslavia. They talk about Afghanistan. They do not talk about Bosnia, unfortunately.

11:15 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

It was the former Yugoslavia or Bosnia. I served in two areas on two different tours. On the first tour I served with the 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry, and the second tour was with 1 Service Battalion. For the first tour we were stationed in Zgon, in country, and then for the second one, I was with the national support element.

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

You mentioned to us today that when you were releasing, they talked to you about challenges you might have with VAC and Indigenous Affairs. Do you recall whether, when you first signed up, they told you from the day you started what sorts of services might be available to you throughout your career? You mentioned today not necessarily knowing about the education benefits that might be there.

11:15 a.m.

President, Aboriginal Veterans Society of Alberta

Wallace J. Bona

No, I can't recall. It was the time of the Cold War. I don't know—maybe people were getting complacent. It had been going on for so many years.

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Would you say that was consistent, not only for all veterans but also for indigenous veterans?