For King and Kanata

Canadian Indians and the First World War

Timothy C. Winegard (Author)

When the call to arms was heard at the outbreak of the First World War, Canada’s First Nations pledged their men and money to the Crown to honour their long-standing tradition of forming military alliances with Europeans during times of war, and as a means of resisting cultural assimilation and attaining equality through shared service and sacrifice. Initially, the Canadian government rejected these offers based on the belief that status Indians were unsuited to modern, civilized warfare. But in 1915, Britain intervened and demanded Canada actively recruit Indian soldiers to meet the incessant need for manpower. Thus began the complicated relationships between the Imperial Colonial and War Offices, the Department of Indian Affairs, and the Ministry of Militia that would affect every aspect of the war experience for Canada’s Aboriginal soldiers.

In his groundbreaking new book, For King and Kanata, Timothy C. Winegard reveals how national and international forces directly influenced the more than 4,000 status Indians who voluntarily served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force between 1914 and 1919—a per capita percentage equal to that of Euro-Canadians—and how subsequent administrative policies profoundly affected their experiences at home, on the battlefield, and as returning veterans.

Reviews

“For King and Kanata is the new standard history by which to understand Canada’s First Peoples and the Great War. Through this book, Winegard has become an important new historian in the ranks of Great War and First Peoples scholars.”

– Tim Cook, Great War Historian at Canadian War Museum, Canada’s History (Link)

“For King and Kanata is a fascinating and sobering account of Canada’s native Indian people during the Great War, the pre-war events and treaties which influenced and affected them and the disturbing post-war consequences of their support for Great Britain and its King.”

– David Filsell, Western Front Association’s Stand To! Magazine.

“The role of Canadian Indians in the Great War has been treated before, but never so thoroughly as by Winegard. Well researched and well written, a most useful study.”

– J.L. Granatstein, emeritus, Canadian War Museum, CHOICE

“For King and Kanata is an important addition to the burgeoning field of indigenous military history in Canada. Winegard has produced a book that will be the first stop for any person interested in learning about First Nations peoples’ roles and experiences in the Great War.”

– Literary Review of Canada (Link)

“In addition to its value to the emerging field of Aboriginal military history, For King and Kanata is useful for those studying the First World War, bureaucracy and the Canadian state, and the relationship between late nineteenth-century ideology and governance.”

– Brian MacDowall, York University, H Net Canada

“A unique story of racism, valor, and the advancement of minorities, For King and Kanata is a strongly recommended read for any assortment focusing on the First Nations or Canadian military history.”

– Midwest Book Review (Link)

“Winegard patiently weaves scholarship with a narrative of courage, loyalty, and distinction which compels all of us to recognize what has been an injustice of omission in the annals of war.”

– Kane X. Faucher, Western News (Link)

“A welcome addition to the historiography. In a style both engaging and accessible, Winegard tells the individual and collective stories of those Indian men who enlisted to fight for the Crown.”

– Robert J. Talbot, University of Ottawa, Great Plains Quarterly

“Based on a wide-ranging and thorough primary research base in Canada and abroad, Winegard has written what will be the new go-to source for scholars, students, and the public on Indigenous soldiers in the First World War. His work in imperial archives brings entirely new material to light that changes and enhances our understanding of major Canadian policy changes.”

– Scott Sheffield, Department of History, University of the Fraser Valley

About the Author

Timothy C. Winegard received his doctorate in History from the University of Oxford in 2010. He served nine years as an officer in the Canadian Forces, including a two-year attachment to the British Army. He is the author of Oka: A Convergence of Cultures and the Canadian Forces (2008) and Indigenous Peoples of the British Dominions and the First World War (2011). Dr. Winegard recently moved to Colorado, where he is professor of history at Colorado Mesa University in Grand Junction. Visit Timothy’s website.