Indigenous Advisor makes change one person at a time

May 25, 2022 - Defence Stories

By Steven Fouchard, Army Public Affairs

Chief Petty Officer 2^nd Class Pat Stevens was near retirement from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) after 18 years of service until being offered the role of Indigenous Advisor to the CAF Chaplain General.

He happily accepted the job last year, extending his service. In a recent interview, CPO2 Stevens spoke about struggling with his own Indigenous identity early in his career, how the CAF is evolving, and the power of changing minds one person at a time.

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.

When did you take the role of Indigenous Advisor and what does it involve?

I got this position in October of last year. As the Indigenous Advisor to the Chaplain General, what I’m responsible for is advising commands, as well as the chaplains, on Indigenous spirituality. Questions come up - whether a certain ceremony is proper, or about land acknowledgements. I’m not the final authority on any of this. My knowledge is based on being from Nipissing First Nation. I have a network of knowledge keepers and elders located across Canada. With their help, I’m able to support command on decisions and Indigenous members.

What was your reaction to being asked to take on the role?

I got in the military about 18 years ago and was actually getting very close to my retirement. The military’s been a great career, but I had seen the point where I had done enough. The opportunity came up to support Indigenous people in this role and I just couldn’t turn it down. I’ve actually changed my retirement plans and I’ve signed on for another five years.

How has the experience been so far?

I’m quite excited. I’ve advised a few of the chaplain courses already. I’ve advised a few different Navy commands. With the virtual work model being used due to the pandemic I’m able to be all places at once. One morning I can be with the Halifax team and in the afternoon with the west coast team.

What first drew you to military service?

I grew up in Sturgeon Falls, Ontario; it was a small community. There wasn’t much opportunity. I’d just finished high school and didn’t know what to do. A Navy recruiter actually came to my community and I said, ‘You know what? Let’s do something silly and see if I can effect some change.’ I wouldn’t lie to you by saying I had a great experience the entire time because there’s definitely been bumps in the road, but I chose my path and I’ve done nothing but grow since. With the support of the military, I was able to open myself up to my culture.

In the first couple of years, I was quite ashamed of my cultural identity. I tried to hide who I was. Now I talk about my culture openly and I think it’s a testament to how much change has happened. Do we need to still talk about equity? Yes. One hundred per cent we do. I don’t think it’s a conversation we’ll ever get away from. But when we can do a little better each time, we’re heading in the right direction.

It sounds like you’ve had good support throughout your career.

There’s definitely a lot of support encouraging people out there. I always tell people when it comes to cultural conversations, there is a lot of ignorance out there. The majority of people you speak to, as long as they’re aware of their ignorance, you’re able to have a healthy discussion. And I’ve been able to, I wouldn’t say convince, but shed light on some of our historical injustices. And with that they have a better understanding. And with a better understanding, they’re able to support Indigenous people better.

What are some of your career highlights so far?

One of the biggest moments in my career was in about the 2008 timeframe. At the time I wasn’t talking much about my culture, my identity. I was on board HMCS Halifax. We were doing what’s called a Great Lakes deployment. While we were there, up in Thunder Bay, there was a ceremony to present Indigenous members on board with eagle feathers. Eagle feathers in my culture are a recognition of achievement. So it opened my eyes. People ask me all the time, ‘Pat, why do you support the government so much? Aren’t you upset for what they did?’ I say, ‘Yeah, I can dwell on the past but from my experience I’ve been able to move forward and they’ve been supporting me throughout.

Did you set any particular goals for your next five years of service?

To fix the world is an impossible task for any individual. So I look at things on a day-to-day and individual basis. If I can change one person every day, that’s really all I’m hoping to do. If I can effect one person today, 365 people a year, the amount of change – those waves, those ripples across the water – it’s just astronomical.