On Wednesday morning, September 13, a very special private memorial took place at the Canadian Cemetery in Holten. The Ministry of Veterans Affairs Canada, in collaboration with a Dutch working group, organized a memorial with indigenous customs and rituals. In addition to representatives of the government and indigenous authorities, family members of 12 indigenous soldiers were also present.

There was a general Cross of Sacrifice ceremony in which all indigenous participants had an active role. Subsequently, the family held their own memorial service at the grave of each of those 12 soldiers. Students from De Regenboog primary school in Holten guide the families on the Ereveld. After the memorial, there was a small reception in the Enklaar Room of the Information Center and guests were able to visit the center's exhibition space.

The group of approximately 40 people will be in Europe for a few days at the invitation of Veterans Affairs Canada. One of the highlights was the ceremony in Holten. For the current Canadian government, it is a priority to strengthen the position of its indigenous population in Canadian society. That is why the attention is paid to the important role that the indigenous soldiers played in the Canadian Liberation Army.

The cemetery in Holten was specially chosen because the ICB working group has been researching for years and paying attention to the soldiers on the Ereveld who have indigenous roots. Indigenous ancestry means First-Nations, Inuit, or Métis. Because the ancestry in the military files was not mentioned in the Canadian army, it is not easy to identify everything. Currently, we assume that 17 First Nations soldiers and 5 Mëtis (an Indigenous and a French parent) have their final resting place in Holten.

Photo: Gerrit Willems