Indigenous people during the First World War

Both on the home front and overseas, Indigenous peoples mobilized in large numbers during the First World War. More than 4,000 joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force. At least 50 won medals for bravery, including the Cree Henry Norwest, who became the greatest sniper among the Canadian troops at the front, and possibly the best in the British forces. Nevertheless, Indigenous peoples’ participation in the war effort did not put an end to the injustices they encountered: the government confiscated reserve lands and made them available to non-Indigenous farmers, and First Nations soldiers were more or less stripped of the privileges granted to ex-servicemen. After returning home, Frederick Ogilvie Loft, a Mohawk veteran who wanted to help the First Nations, founded the League of Indians of Canada, the first pan-Indigenous organization in Canada.