A moving memorial event at Landscape of Nations Park Saturday, Indigenous Veterans Day, had a twofold purpose. One was recognizing the service in the Canadian Armed Forces of two Indigenous members: Wendy Jocko and Rick Mt Pleasant.
Both served honourably for many years. Jocko spoke of her great-grandfather and his four sons, who fought on the side of the British during 1812, most likely under Joseph Brant at Queenston Heights and later at Lundy’s Lane and other battles. Their contributions, like that of many Indigenous Peoples, she said, has been lost or forgotten to history.
Her son, she said, gave his life serving as a peace keeper with the First Royal Canadian Regiment, and was buried last year on Indigenous land.
Jocko referred to John Norton, who was also honoured Saturday, as “indispensable” for leading Indigenous soldiers in the War of 1812, as did Mt. Pleasant, who said the outcome would have been very different without Norton and his leadership. Mt. Pleasant held a number of positions over a 47-year career and during his last 10 years worked to increase the number of Indigenous members in Canada’s present day Armed Forces.
Niagara Parks Chair Bob Gale welcomed all to the event and spoke of the importance that the Niagara Parks places on highlighting the history and contributions of Indigenous Peoples along the length of the Niagara Parks system, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
"Once again, Niagara Parks was honoured to host the annual Valour & Victory: Honouring Indigenous Veterans ceremony at the Landscape of Nations Memorial at Queenston Heights Park," Niagara Parks chair Bob Gale said following the memorial service. "The memorial itself, this annual ceremony and now the new federal plaque dedicated to Teyoninhokarawen, all serve to help share the important story of Indigenous Peoples as Canada’s first allies and the crucial role they played in the birth of our nation,” said Gale.
The second event at the ceremony was the unveiling of the national historic person plaque in honour of Teyoninhokarawen (John Norton). Dr. Richard Merritt, a local historian of note, has researched Norton’s life and deeds and was the proponent of Norton being designated as a National Historic Person. Representatives of the Historic Sites & Monument Board of Canada, Dr. Stepen Azzi and Sarah Jerome, were present at the event, and Jerome and Merritt unveiled the plaque.
The plaque, written in three languages, explains that John Norton’s father was Cherokee, his mother Scottish, and he was adopted as an adult by Joseph Brant, a Mohawk leader, “as his successor in the Haudenosaunee’s (Six Nations) struggles for independence and prosperity.”
During the War of 1812, the plaque says, “he convinced many First Nations communities and their warriors to ally with the British. He led an Indigenous force to many victories ,including at the Battle of Queenston Heights where they climbed the escarpment and engaged the enemy, allowing for the recapture of the position.”
His journals and writings, the plaque inscription continues, “provide a rare record of the times and a Haudenosaunee perspective on the war.”
Travis Hill acted as MC during the event and introduced Karl Dockstader, who gave a traditional greeting to open the event.
Six Nations Elder and historian Rick Hill spoke of the importance of Indigenous warriors helping to form the country of Canada by assisting the British to defeat the American invaders, emphasizing “the continuing need for all of us to seek peace in our time.”
