Monuments pay tribute to Elders

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The Kikino Metis Settlement in northeastern Alberta have unveiled two new monuments in its community which pay tribute to Elders and veterans .

The two monuments, one to be placed at the Kikino cemetery and the other to go in front of the settlement's administration office, were purchased from Aspen Memorials in Edmonton.

Jim White, with the memorial company, who is also a Kikino member, said the monuments have been a long time in coming, but are a ideal tribute to the work done by the Elders of the settlement.

"They are there in memory of the members who served in the armed forces or members of the settlement who have passed on."

Too often, older cemeteries, especially those in Native communities, don't get the proper upkeep they should, he said.

Money problems often force Aboriginal families to bury loved ones with only a simple wooden cross to mark their grave. As time goes by, the wood rots and the cross falls. After a while, graves get lost. Monuments help keep a better record of the people in the cemetery. Family history can be preserved for generations.

"I want to provide the opportunity for my kids to go back to [Kikino], Onion Lake, or the Elizabeth Settlement to say this is my grandfather," White said. "I want a place for my kids or my grandchildren to see where their legacy is from."

At the settlement office, Harold White, the chairman of the Kikino council, said he's just sorry the idea for the monuments has taken so long.

"It's been overlooked too long. They did a great deed when they were younger," he said of the veterans, Elders and other Kikino members who gave their lives for their country and community.

The monuments will be a constant reminder of the people who built up the settlement, he said.

The new monuments were set up on Nov. 7, and officially unveiled at the Kikino Rememberance Day celebration on Nov. 11.

White said he wanted Rememberance Day to be more of a celebration than a day of sad memories.

"It is a celebration of our history and a celebration of our members who served in the wars."