'The first time I had freedom': Spotlighting Sask.'s Indigenous WW II veterans

When visiting her home province of Saskatchewan a few years ago, a photographer was inspired to learn more about a handful of remaining Indigenous Second World War veterans, in part because of the inequality they faced after their service.

"I was always aware of Aboriginal veteransnot receiving fair compensation like other Canadians had," saidZehraRizvi.

The government eventually offered up to $20,000 in compensation for benefits denied to Indigenous veterans after returning from the Second World War.

"That seems so unfair, compared to what they would have gotten in the1940sand 1950s, so that legacy still continues," said Rizvi.

Someone put her in touch with one Saskatchewan veteran: Henry Beaudry.

"I ended up meeting him and photographing him, and getting to know what his story was like, and I knew there would be other people like him," said Rizvi.

The encounter led to a photography project that highlights not only Beaudry, who passed away in 2016, but also Saskatchewan's three remaining Indigenous World War IIveterans.

Here are their stories, as told to Rizvi.

Henry Beaudry

Henry Beaudry was a prolific painter and actorfrom Sweetgrass First Nation.

"He was just a joy to be with," said Rizvi.

Beaudry lied when he joined the military, saying he was 19 years old, though he was younger.

"Nobody knew. I was working in Cut Knife with a farmer and thought I'll go and buy clothes," he said

"I saw a sign:'Join the army and see the world,and kiss a girl in every port.'That attracted me!"

He had a sparkle in his eye and was a very generous person.- ZehraRizvi, photographer

Beaudry boarded a train to Saskatoon that afternoon. He was trained in Montreal andwas sent overseas soon after.

"There was a big storm in Januarythe ships were going all over. It took us a long time."

When he reached Europe, Beaudrybecame a scout.

He eventually was taken as a prisoner of war.

Upon his return, Beaudryraisedtwo biological childrenand several adopted children from his community.

"He had a sparkle in his eye and was a very generous person. If there were people in the community who didn't have food, he was the one who would bring them bags of groceries," said Rizvi.

Philip Favel

Philip Favellives on SweetgrassFirst Nation. Rizvi photographed him during the summer of 2017.

Faveltried to join the forces at 18, buthis mother told officials he was too young. At 22, he left his wife to join again, this time successfully.He was sent to Red Deer, Alta., for training, then to Halifaxbefore shipping out.

The now-96-year-oldremembershis fellow soldiers in the military to this day.

"You get to know each other. I was the only Indian in that group. They were all white. We all got along. What's the difference? We're going to do the same thing, so why should be not agree with each other?"

Favel landed in Normandy, France, on D-Day.

On June 6, 1944, "paratroopers cleared that path for us guysto go behind enemy lines. They were waiting for us, then we're on our own for three days after the landing," Favel recalled.

Favel is proud to have fought for the freedom of the people he encountered in Europe.

He currently lives onSweetgrassFirst Nation in Saskatchewan.

"He is a strong advocate of treaty rights and is aware of his community," said Rivzi.

"He basically came back and I think he was more empowered to know about things and be proactive about things in his community."

Virginia Pechawis

Rizvicalls 89-year-old VirginiaPechawis"an amazing woman," one of 22 Indigenous women who served in the war.

"I had a little sister and, boy, was she spoiled. Every time she cried, it was me that made her cry. Finally, I decided, I'm going to leave," said Pechawis.

"I didn't tell them where I was going, so I went to the Prince Albert regimental office."

Pechawiswas 18 when she joined the army. She looked forward to the experience of leaving the reserve.

She served in the navy, and saw some of Canada and the northern United States throughoutthe Second World War.

"I used to go outside when the boat was moving," when she wasn't performing her duties, she said, mostly in the kitchen.

When Pechawisreturned to MistawasisFirst Nation, she was offered little compensation.

As a veteran,Pechawiswas offered some land, which she said was hers anyhow, and wasn't enough.

"We were dirt poor," she said.

She gave birth to 12 childrenand continues to live in Mistawasis.

Frank Tomkins

Frank Tomkins, 90, is a Mtis man from Albertawho now resides in Saskatoon.

He had fivebrothers in the armyand 27 people in his extended family who served in the Second World War. Seventeen of Tomkins' family members were killed during the war.

If I had lied about my age, I might be dead, too.- FrankTomkins, veteran

Tomkins' brothers were Cree code-talkers, connected with the United States Army.

"They were needing soldiers towardsthe end of the war. There were so many wounded and killed and everything else. They had to starttaking fighting men out of the other organizations," he said.

Tomkinswaited until he was 19 to enlist, and just when he completed his training and was about to go serve, the war ended.

"If I had lied about my age, I might be dead, too."

Tomkinslearned to drive a tank, to run and maintain every vehicle in the fleet, and how to shoot "every gun there was."

After the war, he became a parachute firefighter, working in northern Saskatchewan for many years.

Like his fellow veterans, Tomkinsgot a sense of empowerment from his service.

"I loved the army, because it was such a change of life for me," he said.

"It was the first time I had freedom."