The Gabriel Dumont Institute in Saskatoon sells about 100 of these beaded poppies each year to honour indigenous veterans. (Source: Gabriel Dumont Institute)
A new poem (2017) by Solomon Ratt to recognize the sacrifice of Indigenous Veterans, and the shameful treatment they received on their return.
Click here to read the story about Sol’s poem reported by the Office of the Treaty Commissioner: http://www.otc.ca/reconciliations/details/indigenous_veterans.html
ithiniw-simâkanisihkânak / ᐃᖨᓂᐤ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ / Indian Veterans
Salamô omasinahikîwin / ᓴᐣᐊᒨ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᐦᐃᑮᐏᐣ / Written by Solomon Ratt
| nithanân ôma kâ-kî-wanikiskisitotawikawiyâhk | ᓂᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᑳᑮᐘᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᑐᑕᐏᑲᐏᔮᕽ | We were the forgotten |
| anima kâ-itwâniwik “îkâ wihkâc ta-waniskisiyahk.” | ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳᐃᑤᓂᐏᐠ “ᐄᑳ ᐏᐦᑳᐨ ᑕᐘᓂᐢᑭᓯᔭᕽ᙮” | of the ‘lest we forget.’ |
| nîthanân ôma îkâ kâ-nôkosiyâhk | ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐄᑳ ᑳᓅᑯᓯᔮᕽ | We were the invisible |
| cîpayahk iskonikanihk ohci. | ᒌᐸᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ | ghosts from The Rez |
| namôtha katâc takî-ohci-nitawi-nôtinikiyâhk. | ᓇᒨᖬ ᑲᑖᐨ ᑕᑮᐅᐦᒋᓂᑕᐏᓅᑎᓂᑭᔮᕽ᙮ | We had no obligation to join. |
| ikwa mîna ohcitaw ta-pakitinamâhk nitaskihkân-akihtâsowininâna. | ᐃᑿ ᒦᓇ ᐅᐦᒋᑕᐤ ᑕᐸᑭᑎᓇᒫᕽ ᓂᑕᐢᑭᐦᑳᐣᐊᑭᐦᑖᓱᐏᓂᓈᓇ᙮ | We had to give up our treaty status. |
| nikî-nôtinikânân, nikî-nipinân, | ᓂᑮᓅᑎᓂᑳᓈᐣ, ᓂᑮᓂᐱᓈᐣ, | We fought, we died, |
| nipîkskwîwininân nikî-kîmôci-âsowihtamâkânân. | ᓂᐲᐠᐢᑹᐏᓂᓈᐣ ᓂᑮᑮᒨᒋᐋᓱᐏᐦᑕᒫᑳᓈᐣ᙮ | our language was used for secret messages. |
| nikî-wîcikâpawîstawânânak kotakak simâkanisihkânak kâ-kî-paskithâkiyâhk. | ᓂᑮᐑᒋᑳᐸᐑᐢᑕᐚᓈᓇᐠ ᑯᑕᑲᐠ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ ᑳᑮᐸᐢᑭᖭᑭᔮᕽ᙮ | We stood side by side with the other soldiers in our victory. |
| nikî-napatîwîpinikawinân ispî kâ-pî-kîwîyâhk; | ᓂᑮᓇᐸᑏᐑᐱᓂᑲᐏᓈᐣ ᐃᐢᐲ ᑳᐲᑮᐑᔮᕽ; | We were cast aside when we came back home; |
| namwâc nikî-ohci-wîcihikawinân tâpiskôc aniki kotakak simâkanisihkânak. | ᓇᒹᐨ ᓂᑮᐅᐦᒋᐑᒋᐦᐃᑲᐏᓈᐣ ᑖᐱᐢᑰᐨ ᐊᓂᑭ ᑯᑕᑲᐠ ᓯᒫᑲᓂᓯᐦᑳᓇᐠ᙮ | we didn’t get the benefits allotted other veterans; |
| nikwîtatî wîkinân athisk î-kî-pakitinamâhk nitaskihkân-akihtâsowininâna. | ᓂᑹᑕᑏ ᐑᑭᓈᐣ ᐊᖨᐢᐠ ᐄᑮᐸᑭᑎᓇᒫᕽ ᓂᑕᐢᑭᐦᑳᐣᐊᑭᐦᑖᓱᐏᓂᓈᓇ᙮ | we didn’t know where to live since we gave up our treaty status. |
| nithanân ôma kâ-kî-wanikiskisitotawikawiyâhk | ᓂᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᑳᑮᐘᓂᑭᐢᑭᓯᑐᑕᐏᑲᐏᔮᕽ | We were the forgotten |
| anima kâ-itwâniwik “îkâ wihkâc ta-waniskisiyahk.” | ᐊᓂᒪ ᑳᐃᑤᓂᐏᐠ “ᐄᑳ ᐏᐦᑳᐨ ᑕᐘᓂᐢᑭᓯᔭᕽ᙮” | of the ‘lest we forget.’ |
| nîthanân ôma îkâ kâ-nôkosiyâhk cîpayahk iskonikanihk ohci. | ᓃᖬᓈᐣ ᐆᒪ ᐄᑳ ᑳᓅᑯᓯᔮᕽ ᒌᐸᔭᕽ ᐃᐢᑯᓂᑲᓂᕽ ᐅᐦᒋ᙮ | We were the invisible ghosts from The Rez. |
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