"... in the same manner as other people" : government policy and the military service of Canada's First Nations People, 1939-1945
Date
1995
Authors
Sheffield, R. Scott
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Abstract
During the Second World War, thousands of First Nations men served in Canada 's armed forces. This thesis examines how government and military policies on recruitment and organisation constrained the choices of Natives who volunteered for active service. In addition, it reconstructs the chain of events that led to the registration of most of the Native population, and eventually to the compulsory military service of Native men for overseas duty. Bureaucratic mismanagement, indecision and jurisdictional squabbling plagued this process, leaving First Nations people vulnerable to the intrusive policies of government agencies more concerned with the successful prosecution of the war than Native concerns. This study will provide a narrative basis for future historical work.