FORT WILLIAM FIRST NATION — Many of those who laid a wreath at the Anemki Wajiw cenotaph Monday morning, did so in honour of a father or grandfather who served in World War II, commemorating a family history and a legacy they hope to preserve.
One of those soldiers was Pte. Frank Banning. In 1995, the World War II veteran organized the first Remembrance Day ceremony in Fort William First Nation.
After his passing, Frank’s daughter Catherine Banning, along with her family, continued to organize the ceremony.
“I know that he is with us when we're up there on the mountain. He'd be very proud. He was always proud to say he was a veteran, an aboriginal veteran.
“He really was helped by having these ceremonies. It was very medicinal for him to participate in the ceremonies. That's why he started, it was to help him to deal with the trauma of the war,” Catherine said.
Despite the strong cold winds, over 100 people gathered on top of Anemki Wajiw, also known as Mount McKay to honour and remember the sacrifices made by Indigenous veterans during the first nation's Remeberance Day ceremony.
Catherine said it was great to see all the people participating.
“It was very windy and it was chilly, but at least it wasn't raining or snowing.
“The veterans, they have experienced far worse. For us to be up there in a little discomfort of the cold is a small price to pay, to honour them,” she said.
There were Junior Rangers as well as the Algonquin Public School choir in attendance, Catherine said.
“I really like to bring in the youth to help teach them about what the sacrifices were of the war veterans to perhaps see some people in uniform and get that added experience that they might only see in books and things.
“It is a great honour to have them and it was a real privilege to have (the school) sing in Ojibwe today for us,” she said.
Catherine said the mountain has always been a place where multiple nations have come together.
“Our culture is that we were very nomadic and we moved around from one community to the other following the food sources and the weather conditions.
“This really does remind me or makes me think back to those days and honour that culture and tradition that we've historically had, by bringing other first nations and other groups up the mountain to celebrate and conduct ceremony with us.
“That is the way it's supposed to be, it should be that way,” Catherine said.
Michele Solomon, chief of Fort William First Nation, said the ceremony was beautiful.
“It really encompassed a lot of different things.
“There was a group of students from Algonquin school that came and sang a song there. We had the big grandfather drum up there as well as a group of women had hand drums and of course there were military service people there as well,” she said.
Solomon said it seems that every Remembrance Day, it's either snowing or raining or really cold.
“It does give you a moment to pause and think about these conditions, while harsh are nothing compared to the conditions and extreme things that service people have survived at war and those who haven't survived and have gone through.
Solomon said she felt honoured to be there with everyone.
“The credit of this event really largely goes to Catherine Banning, who leads this event along with her family members on behalf of their father, Frank Banning.
“That's who started this event on our mountain, to commemorate Remembrance Day,” she said.
Solomon said she is grateful that Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation can come together.
“Most of the organizations that came to lay wreaths were largely Indigenous organizations, although not exclusively Indigenous organizations.
“It really just speaks to the fact that we're all impacted by war and that we can all come together to remember and acknowledge those people who have given their lives to fight for our freedoms.
“It certainly speaks to our growing relationship and that we do have positive relationships for many things,” Solomon said.
