Hamilton hosts annual Eagles Among Us memorial ahead of Indigenous Veterans Day

Ahead of Saturday’s Indigenous Veteran’s Day, the City of Hamilton hosted its second annual Eagles Among Us memorial.

An honour song filled the air at the Battlefield House Museum and Park in Stoney Creek, to remember those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

“Your ancestors, our veterans, they’re here with us today,” said Dave General, an indigenous artist.

Every year on Nov. 8, Canadians across the country pause to mark National Indigenous Veterans Day, and here in the City of Hamilton, a memorial is held to honour volunteers who raised their hands to fight for freedom.

At the main entrance to the site where the battle in the War of 1812 took place, the city held a wreath laying ceremony ahead of this weekend’s national memorial, for over 12,000 indigenous soldiers who fought in World War One, the Second World War, and the Korean War.

The monument, called “Eagles Among Us”, was built to pay homage to a small group of warriors who helped protect Canada from multiple American invasions.

“Dave General was the artist that created Eagles Among Us that is located behind me, so today, on Indigenous Veterans Day, we thought it was fitting to bring Dave General back to actually say some words and his inspiration for the monument behind me,” said Travis Hill, the Curator of Indigenous Heritage and Culture with the City of Hamilton.

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General says the artwork of four monolithic 10-foot tall eagles is meant to salute the memory of all families and friends who fought at this location.

“The celebration here is not just Indigenous — this is Indigenous and non-Indigenous, because we all lost our loved ones, we all lost the history that they carry, we all lost the languages that they carry,” said General.

The idea to hold a memorial by Eagles Among Us was brought forward to the city last year by Stacey Hill, the Hamilton Police Service Indigenous Liaison.

“The only place where we’re being acknowledged was in our own homelands — on reserves and stuff like that,” said Stacey. “So I brought it forward to Travis and to the city, that I want to honour Indigenous peoples at our monument here that was created for us.”

National Indigenous Veteran’s Day highlights the message that they all deserve to be recognized and treated with the same dignity, respect and appreciation, just like their non-Indigenous comrades.

“Menobanwajumen, which means ‘a good life’ — like all of this is — all of the things that the people fought for and non-Indigenous people fought for have bought us the good life that we have now,” said Stacey.

WATCH MORE: Thousands of handmade poppies adorn Niagara-on-the-Lake in tribute to veterans