Floyd Powder has a lot on the agenda for the week of Indigenous Veterans Day and Remembrance Day.

The current sergeant-at-arms of the NWT Legislative Assembly and 32-year veteran with the Royal Canadian Regiment and Canadian Airborne Regiment will be spending the week in Ottawa.

He will be joined in the capital by his son who, while undecided on his future, has already followed in his fatherSA国际影视传媒檚 footsteps by enrolling in the cadets and completing his basic parachutist course.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檒l be touching base with all the veterans I served with when I was in Petawawa (Ont.), and several people in Ottawa,SA国际影视传媒� the Fort Smith-born Powder said from Yellowknife, where he now lives. SA国际影视传媒淚t will be good to catch up.SA国际影视传媒�

The pairSA国际影视传媒檚 visit to Ottawa is not just about reconnecting with old friends.

Outside of his work as sergeant-at-arms, Powder is a volunteer researcher with Last Post Fund, an organization that aims to provide dignified funerals, burials and military gravestones for veterans who could not afford those things at the time of their death.

Much of PowderSA国际影视传媒檚 volunteer efforts concern a Last Post Fund project called the Indigenous Veterans Initiative, which seeks to locate unmarked graves of Indigenous veterans and replace them with grave markers that can include traditional names and Indigenous symbols, such as bears and feathers, in place of a Latin crosses or regimental crests.

Powder has spent the last three years visiting gravesites across the NWT, compiling a list of military graves, marked and unmarked. He will spend the first two days of his visit to Ottawa SA国际影视传媒� Nov. 6 and 7 SA国际影视传媒� at Library and Archives Canada, running his list against theirs. This will allow him to verify military service, and find information about deceased veterans, including their services numbers and the units they served with.

SA国际影视传媒淚f the family or anybody else wants to do some research in the future theySA国际影视传媒檒l have a good head start with the service number,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Indigenous Veterans Day is Nov. 8. Powder and his son will begin the day by attending a ceremony at the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument, which will include smudging and wreath-laying.

Powder will not have a direct role in the proceedings. He instead intends to SA国际影视传媒渓et others step forwardSA国际影视传媒� and SA国际影视传媒減rovide guidance and direction to help make sure we honour our Indigenous veterans properly.SA国际影视传媒�

Once the ceremony has concluded, he and his son will head to the National Arts Centre for the debut screening of a film called Finding Unmarked Graves. The film documents Last Post FundSA国际影视传媒檚 work, and includes footage of the installation of a headstone at Back Bay Cemetery and a reconsecration ceremony at Lakeview Cemetery, both in Yellowknife.

That evening, the film will be shown again at a feast hosted by the Odawa Native Friendship Centre, which will be attended by Indigenous veterans.

SA国际影视传媒淚t will be good to get their thoughts,SA国际影视传媒� said Powder.

Powder and his son will then move on to Petawawa, where Powder will reconnect with old friends and attend a dinner at the local Legion. The pair will be back in Ottawa in time for Remembrance Day on Nov. 11.

They will start the day by attending an SA国际影视传媒渋nformal gatheringSA国际影视传媒� at the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument, before heading to the National War Memorial just a few blocks away. This year, they will have the opportunity to view the proceedings from an exclusive, fenced-in area near the monument. That position could afford them the opportunity to lay a wreath.

SA国际影视传媒淚f thatSA国际影视传媒檚 the case, ISA国际影视传媒檒l probably hand the wreath off to my son,SA国际影视传媒� Powder said. SA国际影视传媒淢y son being in Ottawa, and both of us attending the ceremony, thatSA国际影视传媒檚 very personally satisfying.SA国际影视传媒�

From beginning to end, Powder sees his busy visit to Ottawa as an opportunity to honour CanadaSA国际影视传媒檚 veterans, and spread the word about Last Post FundSA国际影视传媒檚 work.

SA国际影视传媒淲e need more people in communities to go to their cemeteries and spread the word. We need to get more researchers to identify the unmarked graves that are within or near their communities,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Powder will also find opportunities to reflect over the course of his visit, even if heSA国际影视传媒檚 busy most of the week. He said he will spend time thinking of his father, a Second World War veteran, as well as all the other people who have served Canada as members of the military.

SA国际影视传媒淥n the eighth, what ISA国际影视传媒檒l be reflecting on is that a lot of Indigenous veterans served this great country, and when they completed their service, they werenSA国际影视传媒檛 afforded the same benefits and opportunities as everyone else that they served with,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚SA国际影视传媒檒l remember that SA国际影视传媒� that in our great country, this happened to our Indigenous veterans.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淥n Remembrance Day, ISA国际影视传媒檒l remember all the other Canadian soldiers, including the who served on peacekeeping missions, who served this country,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 a great opportunity for Canadians to gather and honour every soldier, every sailor, every air and navy personnel that has served this country, and continue to serve this country.SA国际影视传媒�