Armed Forces name former Manitoba MP as first Indigenous Knowledge Keeper

A erstwhile Cree subordinate of Parliament and a longtime subject subordinate has been named the Canadian Armed Forces’ archetypal Indigenous Knowledge Keeper.

Warrant Officer Robert-Falcon Ouellette is acceptable to beryllium promoted to skipper successful a ceremonial hosted by the subject successful Winnipeg connected Thursday evening.

“It’s astir the inclusion of Indigenous Peoples afloat wrong the institutions of our nation,” Ouellette said successful an interrogation up of the ceremony.

“We’ve moved successful specified a mode with reconciliation that we person this accidental to truly show what the Canadian Forces tin be.”

Ouellette said helium is simply a fourth-generation subject subordinate with astir 3 decades of service. He started with the Navy League and Sea Cadet programme and is presently with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles unit.

From 2015 to 2019, Ouellette represented the riding of Winnipeg Centre arsenic a Liberal MP.

He is presently an subordinate prof of acquisition astatine the University of Ottawa.

The subject said the caller presumption is portion of its effort to clasp Indigenous spirituality. The Forces connection spiritual and spiritual attraction to members and their families done the Royal Canadian Chaplain Services.

There person been Indigenous chaplains successful the past, including Lt.-Col. Catherine Askew, but this is the archetypal clip idiosyncratic has been designated to supply spiritual teachings from an Indigenous constituent of presumption alternatively of a Christian one.

Before this, chaplains would person to trust connected a web of Indigenous representatives for spiritual and affectional support.

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For galore years, Indigenous Peoples were banned from practising their spirituality.

Ouellette tin retrieve a clip erstwhile helium faced harassment for being Cree.

“There were times erstwhile I had unspeakable discussions with commanding officers and others wrong my unit. I person agelong hairsbreadth and sometimes that would upset radical who are older subject members,” helium recalled.

“Today it’s overmuch different. People are overmuch much accepting.”

Indigenous soldiers person built their ain web wrong the military, gathering for drum groups and accepted ceremonies, said Ouellette.

Indigenous radical made up 2.9 per cent of the Canadian Armed Forces arsenic of November 2022. Approximately 23 per cent of Canadian Rangers self-identify arsenic First Nations, Inuit oregon Métis.

Ouellette said his relation not lone supports Indigenous people, but educates non-Indigenous members arsenic well.

“I spot myself supporting each soldiers … there’s thing overmuch larger than this.”