One side of me agrees wholeheartedly with what Alan said. However, if I were talking to a young person who wanted to join the Canadian Armed Forces, I would tell them to stay true to their roots and to who they are as an indigenous person. Never let that go. If we do, we lose part of ourselves—who we are. We have to stay true to what our ancestors fought for—for us to be here today.
One of my jobs was as an indigenous aboriginal recruiting adviser for the Canadian Armed Forces. I wholeheartedly stood behind recruiting young indigenous people into the Canadian Armed Forces. Now my tune is changing a little, because I have a granddaughter looking to join. I honestly don't know what to say to her and whether to encourage her or not, because of everything that's happening and all of the stuff going on, like Alan said. Ever since she was a baby, I've brought her up with her culture, the knowledge of our teachings and the strength a woman should have in who she is. I don't want her to lose that. I'll never tell her no. However, as a grandmother, I will be doubly afraid if she joins up.