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I feel that military had
the chance to give me back

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part of my culture and really
startle me on my path

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towards my spiritual reckoning.

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Patrick Stevens,
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class

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in the Royal Canadian Navy.

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I am sonar operator by trade,
currently serving

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as the Indigenous Advisor
to the Chaplain General.

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I grew up in the Nipissing First
Nation near North Bay, Ontario.

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We have a lot
of traditional beliefs,

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but because we weren't
as isolated as some,

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we have lost
a lot of our culture.

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Given the chance to speak
about my culture,

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at first, was very challenging.
I didn't want to do it.

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There wasn't much opportunity
for any members,

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any people, let alone Indigenous
members, for jobs, for work.

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And I wanted to change, I wanted
to do something better.

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I had the opportunity to attend

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a recruiting event
in my reserve.

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The recruiting event
got me involved

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with the Canadian Armed Forces
Aboriginal Entry Program.

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With that, I was able to join.

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Being part of the Infantry
Reserve at the time,

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I had the chance to look
towards the right force.

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With the right force came
different options.

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From there, I joined the Navy
as a sonar operator.

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I was in Thunder Bay, Ontario,
with HMCS Halifax.

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We had... at that,
a local chief came

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and presented Indigenous members
with an eagle feather.

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At the time, I don't know
what happened that day.

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Something in me kind of spoke.

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I wanted to talk about
my culture a little bit.

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I looked at taking part
in the ceremony.

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As I got to the flight deck

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and then presented
with this eagle feather,

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it was a really defining
moment in my career.

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At that point, I started to say:
Yeah, I am Indigenous.

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I am a proudly
serving Anishinaabe.

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This is who I am,
this is my culture.

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The eagle feather brought me
on my path,

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my path in the military,
my reckoning of my culture,

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my thirst for knowledge.

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I'm now learning to speak
my traditional tongue,

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you know, learning to speak
my own language.

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The military brought me
in speaking English.

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They allowed me to learn
to speak French,

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and now, I mean,

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allowed to learn to speak
my native language,

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which is this amazing feat.

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From there, I've also come to
act as the Eagle Staff carrier.

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So, I started with an eagle
feather in the military.

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And eventually, I was able
to take the teachings

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of how to carry the Eagle Staff
through the military.

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The honour of having that
in my position,

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being able to carry that
with pride,

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you know, for someone
that was originally ashamed

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and didn't want to talk
about my background,

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to now, I have the Eagle Staff,

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I'm also recently carrying it
out on Remembrance Day.

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As many times to face
obstacles and barriers,

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there's just as many supporting
of the Indigenous people

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as well as multifaith,

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multiculture, multibackgrounds
within the military.

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Canada itself is a nation
of differences.

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If we truly learn to embrace
our differences,

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it makes us a stronger nation.

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So, the Canadian Armed Forces

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are representative
of that truly.

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♪