57 Aboriginal Youth Graduate from the Black Bear Program

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Turtle Island Native Network
http://www.turtleisland.org

August 17th, 2012

57 Aboriginal Youth Graduate from the Black Bear Program - A parade was held yesterday at Canadian Forces Base Borden, to mark the graduation of Aboriginal youth from the seven-week Black Bear Youth Development Program. Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin, Commander Canadian Army and Mr. Peter Ittinuar, the first Inuk Member of Parliament and highly respected member of the Aboriginal community, were in attendance as the reviewing officers for the 57 graduating Aboriginal youth from across Canada. During the seven weeks, the recruits held the rank of private and participated in military and Aboriginal culture events including sharing circles, Pow Wows, drill and weapons training as well as training in the use of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear personal protection equipment.

"I can't stress enough the importance of the Black Bear program in further strengthening the Canadian Army's connection with Aboriginal peoples and preparing the Canadian Forces of tomorrow," said Lieutenant-General Peter Devlin. "When they walked in here, they were typical teenagers, but by week five they were starting to act like any other private in any other organization in the military," said MWO William Vardy, Senior Instructor for the Black Bear Program. "I think many of them grew into young adults much faster than they realized." The recruits came from various First Nations, Metis and Inuit backgrounds from across Canada and had varying levels of knowledge about their history and heritage. At the beginning of their training, the recruits participated in a culture camp, which taught them about traditional medicine wheel teachings, Aboriginal military history, and Aboriginal culture under the guidance of Aboriginal Elders.

Black Bear is a training and employment program for Aboriginal youth from across Canada. Successful applicants participate in a range of cultural and military activities in Borden, Ontario, during the months of July and August. The application deadline for the program is the end of April. ( Source: http://www.forces.ca )

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This is from the Canadian Forces web site. . .
Canada’s First People’s have made a significant contribution to Canada’s military history. Aboriginal peoples demonstrated themselves as valuable allies to the British during the American Revolution of 1775, the War of 1812 and in South Africa during the Boer War. Thousands of Aboriginal men and women participated in both World Wars, and many won citations for their bravery. Many became snipers or reconnaissance scouts, drawing upon traditional hunting and military skills. Aboriginal soldiers also participated during the Korean War and the Gulf War. On each occasion, Canada’s Native soldiers overcame cultural challenges and made impressive sacrifices and contributions to help the nation in its efforts to restore world peace.

In recognition of these sacrifices and contributions, a national monument to the Aboriginal Veterans was unveiled in Ottawa on June 21, 2001. Designed by Lloyd Pinay, the monument is made of bronze and stone. It reflects traditional beliefs about honour, duty and harmony with the environment. The two figures holding weapons and the two holding spiritual items are drawn from various Aboriginal groups of Canada and convey a sense of balance, implying that often a desire for peace lies at the root of war. The eagle that occupies the highest point is the symbol of the Creator (known as the Thunderbird), and embodies the spirit of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. The four animals, the wolf, grizzly, buffalo and caribou, represent spirit guides.