For King and Kanata: Canadian Indians and the First World War

by Timothy C. Winegard

The first comprehensive history of the Aboriginal First World War experience on the battlefield and the home front.When the call to arms was heard at the outbreak of the First World War, Canada’s First Nations pledged their men and money to the Crown to honour their long-standing tradition of forming military alliances with Europeans during times of war, and as a means of resisting cultural assimilation and attaining equality through shared service and sacrifice. Initially, the Canadian government rejected these offers based on the belief that status Indians were unsuited to modern, civilized warfare. But in 1915, Britain intervened and demanded Canada actively recruit Indian soldiers to meet the incessant need for manpower. Thus began the complicated relationships between the Imperial Colonial and War Offices, the Department of Indian Affairs, and the Ministry of Militia that would affect every aspect of the war experience for Canada’s Aboriginal soldiers.In his groundbreaking new book, For King and Kanata,Timothy C. Winegard reveals how national and international forces directly influenced the more than 4,000 status Indians who voluntarily served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1919―a per capita percentage equal to that of Euro-Canadians―and how subsequent administrative policies profoundly affected their experiences at home, on the battlefield, and as returning veterans.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, War, Canada, World War I, Historical

240 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I bought this book I expected to be regaled with accounts of the adventurous activities of Canadian aboriginal soldiers during the Great War. Instead, I was treated to a serious study detailing the legal and political wranglings involved in the recruitment and deployment of Canadian Indians. It's all good; Mr Winegard has a large vocabulary and isn't afraid to hit you right between the eyes with it, so parts of the book require some migraine-inducing concentration. In spite of that, or perhaps because of it, I learned a lot about my country from this particular publication.

Canadians generally regard themselves to be a tolerant society so I was a little taken aback to learn that aboriginal and black soldiers encountered considerable racism even as they volunteered to risk their lives fighting for the country. An example is this quote of LCol George Fowler taken from page 79:

" I have been fortunate to have secured a very fine class of recruits, and I did not think it was fair to these men that they should have to mingle with negroes"

Racial stereotypes abounded during the war and the aboriginal soldiers, although generally well-received by fellow soldiers and treated much the same as any other soldier while serving, were often denied their duly earned pensions and incentives on their return to Canada. In spite of some truly great contributions to the war effort, they were years in getting their due. Read the book; you will undoubtedly be left with contempt for Canadian politics and admiration for these unselfish men and women who stepped forward in their thousands to leave their bones in foreign soil.

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book!

[Dan McCarthy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very detailed account of First Nations Canadian soldiers during World War One, their experiences in Europe and on the home front, and the political realities surrounding their efforts. Well researched and the end notes are a treasure trove of further reading.

[Mary-Esther Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Heavy on policy and statistics. Last three chapters are more palatable.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a military historian, this book both fascinated me and made me wonder why aboriginal involvement in WWI was glossed over in so many history books.