The Chief of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation has started a campaign to honour the community's veterans.
Jason Henry wants to see Highway 21, between Army Camp Road and Outer Drive, renamed.
Chippewas of Kettle and Stony Point First Nation Chief Jason Henry. Screenshot from Facebook message posted April 22, 2020.
"I would like it to be designated as a Veterans Memorial Highway and named Ogichidaa Miikan, which in the Ojibway language means Warriors Road," said Henry.
He said his grandparents worked with veterans, so he's always had great respect for those who served.
"A number of Indigenous people from his community and across Canada have served. We've had a great contribution from Kettle and Stony Point to the Canadian and U.S. Armed Forces. I also want to make sure that we took time to acknowledge those that used our territory, the former Camp Ipperwash, for training when it was in operation and I think it's important to remember that and commemorate that."
He said many members of the community worked, or took part in the operations, at CFB Ipperwash.
"There were some positive memories there. But, the overall, and the overarching sentiment, I think here is that there's a lot of negativity around the expropriation of the land in 1942, our separation of the land, the return home in 1993 and the shooting death of Anthony Dudley George."
Henry said Warriors Road would honour those who fought for the return of their unceded territory.
"Many times in Canada, we forget to take the time to remember our land defenders or land protectors as veterans, but, in our teachings that's who they are. Looking back 25 years, I think many Canadians now can come to that same understanding, that the people that went and cut through the fence and took back Stony Point, they are seen as veterans today and particularly in this community."
Henry plans to discuss the highway renaming with Lambton-Kent-Middlesex MPP Monte McNaughton, Lambton Shores Mayor Bill Weber, and the Centre Ipperwash Community Association.
