Youth learn from veterans during spiritual journey

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A group of 14 Aboriginal youth were recently given the opportunity of a lifetime when they were selected to travel to Europe as part of the Aboriginal Spiritual Journey.

The journey took place from Oct. 28 to Nov. to give Aboriginal veterans a chance to return to the places where they had fought during the Second World War to pay their final respects to fallen comrades. The trip also included a spiritual ceremony conducted by Aboriginal spiritual leaders to call home the spirits of Aboriginal soldiers who died and were buried in these foreign lands.

The young people were included in the journey as a way to pass the stories and experiences of the veterans on to a new generation. Their role was to witness the journey, listen to the stories, visit the sites of battle and then share what they'd seen and learned with other youth upon their return to Canada. The participants were chosen through an essay competition in which they were asked to explain why it's important for Aboriginal youth to remember and honor the sacrifices and achievements of Aboriginal soldiers.

During their time in Europe, the youth took part in a number of ceremonies, including the unveiling of a monument to In Flanders Fields author John McCrae, and visited cemeteries historic battle sites at Ypres, Vimy Ridge, Dieppe, Passchendaele, St. Julien and Beny-Sur-Mer. They also had a private meeting with Canada's new Governor General Michaelle Jean and "an instant bond" was formed.

Elder Mary Wuttunnee was present at the Oct. 29 meeting of Jean and the 14 young people selected to make the journey to Belgium and France. She also gave the opening prayer for the meeting, which was not open to the media.

The governor general and the veterans and youth were given a tour of the Juno Beach Centre, a Canadian owned and operated museum overlooking the site where Canadian troops came ashore on D-Day, June 6, 1944 in what was the beginning of the end of the Nazi occupation of France and, eventually, the Second World War. The next day, an Inuksuk was unveiled just outside the museum.

Afterwards, as the media gathered awaited them, the governor general and the youth walked down to the beach and posed for a group photo. Along the way they talked and laughed.

"She just told them that she was very proud of them. She said, "I'm so proud of you and we'll do everything to help the youth of Canada.' The Aboriginal youth, because that's who was there," Wuttunnee said later during an interview on Juno Beach.

The Elder from Saskatchewan's Red Pheasant First Nation said the new governor general is very approachable.

"Right away you feel that you're welcome. You feel as if she's your aunt or your sister or something. That's the first time I've felt like that about a dignitary," she said. "It's a very good day and I'm sure the Aboriginal youth will go away from here with great pride."

Three of the 14 youth that took part in the Aboriginal Spiritual Journey are from Ontario-Dae Fawn Assinewe from Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation, Dakota Brant from Bay of Quinte Mohawk First Nations and Ryan McBride from Brampton, the youth representative for the Credit River Metis Council.

Throughout the Aboriginal Spiritual Journey, the youth involved captures their thoughts and experiences in a blog, or online journal, set up on the Veterans Affairs Web site. To read their firsthand accounts of the journey, go to http://www.vac-acc.gc.ca/general/sub.cfm?source=feature/abspirit/youth.