They still talk about Tommy Prince today and how the military treated him. You know, about the army not providing...at the time. They had to really insist on getting a burial party. When I talk about the bold eagle program, a lot of people say yes, it's good, but there's also the few who are like, no, my grandfather, my uncle, or my aunt served in the military and when they came back, they were enfranchised. They had to leave. They couldn't go back to their reserve. The Indian agent wouldn't give them their proper stipends or the benefits they were entitled to.
This is pervasive. If you want to help the veterans, you're going to be going up against that...the histories of how people were treated. When I see someone disadvantaged and on the street, to me, it's a painful reminder that the lingering effects of colonialism are still here and aren't going to go away soon.
I've heard that there's a memorial here in town. My intention is to go visit, but I also heard that it's not completed, so I'd like to find out for myself. Maybe that would be a good start, get the aboriginal war memorial completed.