Canadian Armed Forces can now wear Indigenous-crafted poppies
By Julia Parrish
In a first for Canada’s Armed Forces, officials are allowing serving members to wear Indigenous-crafted poppies on their uniforms for Remembrance Day.
Floyd Powder, an Indigenous veteran and advocate, told CBC News the changes allow “for all members to wear an Indigenous crafted poppy.”
Whether it’s beaded, sealskin or porcupine, as long as it meets the dimensions and the red colour for the flower part and the black centre, that can be worn moving forward.
In a ceremony held in Ottawa on Oct. 31, Powder presented handcrafted poppies to Commander of the Canadian Army Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright and Canadian Army Sgt.-Maj. Chief Warrant Officer Christopher Robin.
The poppies were made by his sister, Gwen Pischinger, a member of the Fort Smith Métis Council.
Powder said presenting the poppies made him “extremely proud.”
He also spoke at the ceremony.
I explained the importance of this and having Indigenous-made poppies being worn with a uniform is a really good step forward, Powder said.
‘A huge step towards reconciliation’
Gerri Sharpe is an Indigenous artisan in Yellowknife who has made dozens more poppies than she usually does in a year, because of the regulation change.
To have guidelines set out for military members to wear beaded, crafted poppies is a huge step towards reconciliation, Sharpe said. It shows that they’re building in an Indigenous perspective and allow that to be celebrated as well
“From my point of view this year, if poppies weren’t available for them to have and to showcase this new policy would have been such a shame.”
Sharpe said a friend of hers in the military told her of the change, and asked her to make a few poppies. She said she usually makes three or four for friends if she’s asked to.
At that moment I thought, Yeah, I could probably make 10 or 15 of them to have available’, and that turned into 35.
Each of her poppies is different, Sharpe said.
I like to change things up, I don’t like doing things that are all the same,” Sharpe said. “Each one has different colours, different-sized beads and it takes two and a half hours to do one.
She said to see Indigenous-made poppies on uniforms this year will be “gratifying” to see, and opens up opportunities for artisans going forward.
Under the new regulations, the CAF says the Indigenous handcrafted poppies can be sourced from any vendor, must be red with black accents, and made with beads, or other materials including but not limited to sealskin, porcupine quills, caribou bone and other culturally significant materials.
It is a positive step towards celebrating Indigenous art and bringing it into a world that normally does not have room for Indigenous art. It opens that up, and it walks hand in hand, side by side, Sharpe said.
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: ‘He’s finally being recognized’: Indigenous veterans honoured this week in N.W.T., CBC News
United States: Veterans from Indigenous Alaskan village have war stories archived online, Alaska Public Media
Sweden: Report sheds light on Swedish minority’s historic mistreatment, Radio Sweden
