SFNVA looking to recruit younger generation, continue providing support
- EFN Staff | November 11, 2016
Fresh out of school and searching for opportunities in the 1960s, a young, curious Steven Ross walked into an army recruitment centre in Saskatoon. According to Steven, this was a choice that “forever changed my life.” He recalls “There was no employment in my home community of Montreal Lake at that time, so I tried traveling around the province. One day I was walking around Saskatoon, saw the army recruitment centre and walked in, just to enquire.”
Steven enlisted and served for the Queens own Rifles of Canada. His tour of duty included United Nations Peace Keeping Duty in Cyprus. He attributes where he is today to his service. “It changed my thinking. I learned to be disciplined, focused, and I developed better thinking skills.” He suggests that the choice to join the armed forces creates a lot of opportunities for young people with lots of available training and access to education. “I often wonder where I would have ended up if I had just stayed in Montreal Lake. When I joined, then I had a future – I had something to live for.”
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Acting as Grand Chief of the Saskatchewan First Nations Veterans Association (SFNVA) since March 2015, Steven is focused on finding ways to support and honour First Nations veterans in our province. “Our membership is declining.” This past year, the SFNVA has lost 14 veterans across Saskatchewan. He is very proud to say that the SFNVA has been working hard to provide proper military funerals to those who have served. “We take the time to accommodate all traditions and culture in our memorials. I know the benefits the families get from finally seeing their fathers/husbands/uncles or aunts getting recognition for their service to our country.”
The SFNVA is trying to attract the younger generation who have served. “There are quite a few young veterans coming out of service, but they don’t view themselves as “veterans”. We are making headway, but it takes a lot of work to find young soldiers, freshly out of service.” Steven often stumbles across them by accident, and takes the time to inform them about the SFNVA the benefits of having a support system there to lean on. “These young people are affected by where they have been posted. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects their lives and families.” The SFNVA is actively looking to find ways to help. Proposals are being written to support the creation of a specialized treatment centre in Saskatchewan. “It can be done,” says Steven. “We need to work with Veterans Affairs to find the resources to make this a reality.”
Looking forward to 2017, the SFNVA is working on taking approximately 20 First Nations veterans to France for the 100 year commemoration of Vimy Ridge. It is challenging to find creative ways to make something like this happen. The 2016 SFNVA Gala is geared towards the Vimy Ridge journey. Invitations are offered to the general public, institutions, businesses, First Nations organizations to purchase tables. “We are hoping to get a good program for the evening. We will have a military display and are looking to secure a high command military speaker.” Sunchild Law has generously donated a quad to be raffled off at the event.
When asked what message Steven would bring to the young people of Saskatchewan, he offered this: “We have people joining the armed forces, and we have people who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It is challenging, for the people, for their families and friends. We must always remember, freedom is not free. We can’t forget to honour our veterans.”