Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defence to mark Indigenous Awareness Week 

May 25, 2022 – Ottawa, Ontario – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and Department of National Defence (DND) will celebrate Indigenous Awareness Week (IAW) 2022 from May 24 to 27.

To culminate the week, an event will be held at National Defence Headquarters (Carling) on May 27, 2022 at 13:00 PM EDT. Canadians are invited to join in virtually through a live-stream on the Canadian Army Facebook page.

IAW is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich cultural diversity Indigenous Peoples bring to the CAF and DND, as well as their past and present contributions in service to Canada, which continue to enrich us.

The event will include a number of guest speakers who will illuminate different aspects of Indigenous culture:

• Captain Jaime Lefebvre, Métis CAF member from 28 Field Ambulance;
• Jenny Kay Dupuis, multi-award-winning Indigenous author, educator, and artist; and
• Acclaimed artist Roy Henry Vickers.

The theme chosen for IAW 2022, inspired by the work of Mr. Vickers, is: “We are all in the same canoe, under the same sun.” It is a recognition of all we share as Canadians and Indigenous Peoples and that we must work together to move our relationship forward.

Also attending the event will be:

• General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defence Staff;
• Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence, Stefanie Beck; and
• Vice Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Frances Allen.

*Update: The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence will not be in attendance.*

We acknowledge that the land on which the event will take place is the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishnaabeg People.