Federal leaders remember sacrifices, injustices endured by Indigenous veterans

Federal leaders marked the sacrifices of Indigenous veterans on Monday, as well as the discrimination they faced after returning from war.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says all flags on federal government buildings, including the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, were lowered to acknowledge the service of Indigenous veterans.

"Indigenous people who served across this country … did that facing often systems and discrimination and barriers that were greater," he said before a caucus meeting in Ottawa.

Trudeau added that he spoke with several Indigenous veterans earlier, "to talk about their experiences and mostly talk about the path forward, both for Veterans Affairs and for Indigenous peoples."

It is estimated that more than 12,000 Indigenous people joined the Canadian military during the First and Second World Wars and Korea.