Part of the reason we don't see as many indigenous people staying in the force is that there are not many of us in the forces to begin with. I think there's a lot of pride among indigenous veterans and there's a lot of history, but there's also a lot of bad history. That turns indigenous people off from joining the forces.
Obviously there's divisiveness in our country in relation to indigenous rights and the historic wrongs that have been perpetrated on indigenous peoples. I think reconciliation is the answer.
Being both a member of an indigenous nation and a Canadian is something to be proud of, and that needs to be instilled in young people. It also needs to be instilled in the public and needs to be part of the conversation around reconciliation. You can be both a member of an indigenous nation and Canadian. You can be proud of both and serve both your community and your country.