Please note that the video's audio is in Flemish.
Calling it a “deeply humbling experience,” members of the Edmonton Police Service unveiled a plaque in Belgium to honor EPS Sergeant Alex Decoteau.
Decoteau was killed at the Battle of Passchendaele on October 30, 1917.
“His legacy as an accomplished athlete and courageous soldier exemplifies the values we hold dear – integrity, courage, and dedication to community,” Corps Sergeant Major Christa Laforce said.
Decoteau was a member of the Red Pheasant Cree Nation and the first Indigenous person to join a municipal police department in Canada.
The plaque was unveiled during a ceremony on National Indigenous Veterans Day to recognize the unique contributions of Indigenous soldiers.
Laforce said Decoteau “broke barriers within policing and created a pathway for others to follow in the years to come.”
He was an accomplished runner and Olympic athlete when he joined the Canadian Expeditionary Force in 1916.
“It was his speed and endurance that made him the perfect trench runner.”
More than 4,000 Indigenous people joined the Canadian Army to fight in the First World War, only to have their contributions ignored or forgotten.
“For so long these incredible stories were not shared across the Canadian Forces and even amongst family members. It was not uncommon for Indigenous people to surrender their community status to enlist to serve,” said Honorary Colonel Corinne MacLellan, who also attended the ceremony on behalf of the Canadian military.
“What we are learning in a more widespread way now is how impactful and dedicated they were in Flanders Fields. The people of Belgium recognized that they could help amplify these stories and the sacrifice of these soldiers on National Indigenous Veterans Day by hosting an Indigenous delegation.”
Erwin Ureel, a volunteer with the Passchendaele Society 1917, said by “recognizing Alex’s contributions we are recognizing all First Nations who fought in the war.”
The large blue plaque is located on the road to the Passchendaele New British Cemetery, where Decoteau is buried.
It is only the second plaque dedicated to a Canadian soldier in Belgium, Ureel said.
Laforce believes Decoteau’s legacy “will live on in every act of service, in every step towards reconciliation, and in every effort to ensure that the sacrifices of Indigenous veterans are never forgotten again.”
