Money problems slow down association

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Phillip Favel has quite the job ahead of him. The 81-year-old Second World War veteran is the new Grand Chief of the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association (SFNVA). Favel was elected grand chief on April 30, taking over from former grand chief Howard Anderson.

The SFNVA operates under the umbrella of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN) and its mandate is to promote the interests of First Nation veterans across the province. It not only represent the veterans living or deceased but also the widows and families of the people who served. As grand chief, Favel serves as an executive in all regions of Saskatchewan, working with six vice chiefs under him.

As grand chief, one thing Favel would like to see is for First Nations veterans to be acknowledged in the same way their non-Aboriginal comrades have always been, he explained.

"We need more recognition and support from the government of Saskatchewan because I believe that all veterans should be treated equally regardless of who they are or what First Nation community they came from," he said.

Favel said he would like to do a good job as grand chief but the association is presently strapped for cash. He is not getting paid for his duties but will still carry on as head of the organization.

"I have to carry on with or without pay. I have to do the best I can with money coming out of my pocket. Other people, as in non-Aboriginal people who hold a title like mine in the veterans associations, get paid for what they do, but us in the First Nations Veterans Association here in Saskatchewan we are not given any money. There is nothing we can do. We just have to wait. We also do not have any money to hold meetings," he said.

According to FSIN Vice Chief Lawrence Joseph, who recently took over the veterans' portfolio, that situation will be changing.

"The veterans may have been forgotten by the rest of the country but not by the Aboriginal people in Canada. We will never forget them," Joseph said.

"I just got a portfolio a couple of day's ago and now we are in the process of getting to the bottom of their financial past. We are looking at bringing up ways where we can actually fundraise and also access dollars for them. Plans are underway right now but it is going to take a while.

"They are a good organization. One thing we have going for them which is now underway is having the veterans visit schools. They were actually requested to visit classrooms to tell their stories of the various conflicts they were in. By doing this they will create the awareness of them being in the war. We've accessed a bit of money for that. It is a slow grind but we are trying to make them more vibrant and more celebrated than they have been before."

Joseph said he is going to focus on putting on a special celebration for the Aboriginal war veterans on June 6, 2004 in order to recognize both veterans and their surviving spouses.

"We are also going to be working on projects such as a war memorial. I'm planning on a banquet and celebration as an official sponsorship and as a fundraiser we are planning on selling a picture that is under commission to be painted. It is a beautiful picture of a soldier burning sweetgrass on the front lines. It is a part of a fundraising idea developed to fund the war memorial. We do have some plans and projects underway. The fact is, if they do not have any money it does not mean that they should stop planning meetings. We will find a way to get them supported and right now what we are doing is giving them office support," Joseph said.

"I'm a peacetime war veteran myself so I have a soft spot for the men and women who were in the war."