Veterans still waiting

Page 7

As November 11 rolls around and the nation gets ready to honor its living and dead war veterans, First Nation veterans are still waiting for the same compensation from the federal government that their non-Aboriginal colleagues received over 50 years ago.

"We've got nothing concrete in the sense of, they gave us offers, but they're very low, " said Grand Chief Howard Anderson, who has been leading the effort for First Nations veterans to receive their outstanding compensation.

Anderson can see the tactics that are being used to thwart their efforts.

"I think what they're trying to do is, one person's trying to get the veterans to say 'Yeah, we'll take it'. Then they can bypass me, because I'm saying 'No, it's not enough'. I'm telling the veterans to hold off until Nov. 11."

The Department of Veterans Affairs has promised Anderson that another offer for compensation will be made by Remembrance Day, and he has decided to wait until then.

"This is a slow process," admitted Anderson.

Despite the lack of progress, Anderson still plans to travel to Ottawa as part of a delegation of Aboriginal war veterans, to take part in the national Remembrance Day ceremony.