How art helps embrace Indigenous roots

As Canada prepares to observe National Truth and Reconciliation Day this September, we reflect on the intertwining of Indigenous heritage and military service through the story of one remarkable family.

The Byrnell family’s military ties run deep. Wes Byrnell, a decorated veteran who served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 33.5 years, left a lasting impact on the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) and the field of athletic therapy. His wife Doreen Laurent served in the Women’s Division of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), known as the “WAFs” (Women in the Air Force) and Wes’s daughter Carrie Byrnell Kohan joined the Victoria Air Cadets 89^th Squadron from ages 13 to 16.

However, beneath this military life lay a hidden Indigenous heritage.