In the new edition of Our Canada magazine there is an article on page 52 that is based on the Second World War Spirit Talkers [Code Talkers]. It explains how a code in a First Nations language was developed for the Second World War.

The article, written by Shirley Anderson, of Grouard, speaks only of the Cree Spirit Talkers.

But, we know that First Nations men [exact number not known] from the Brantford area, and attached to the Hamilton Light Infantry, were the first Canadian First Nations men on “raid-in-force” at Dieppe, and the first use of Spirit Talkers in the Second World War.

With this article, we have verified the oral history of the First Nations men at Alderville, Hiawatha, Curve Lake, Scugog and Rama, in the Obijwa language, and Deseronto, and Akwesasnein the Mohawk language in the First World War. They were used for aerial artillery spotting and trained at Deseronto Air Force Base in conjunction with the Barriefield Army Base at Kingston, Ont.

We only know of these two languages used in the First World War with some certainty.

That other First Nations languages may have been used in the First World War, we just have no certainty.

Col. Andrew McNaughton, the newly appointed chief intelligence officer and counter battery officer, in January 1917 is said to have heard two Cree men talking. Being from Moosomin, SK, he knew he had the answer to the “leaks” that were helping the Germans.

We do know in the Second World War a First Nations man from Mi’kmaq in the east to the Salish/Haidi and everywhere in-between were used in the war as Spirit Talkers.

In the meantime, it’s time we paid more attention and give more credence to the First Nations oral history than we have in the past.

Gord Young,
Lakefield Heritage Research,
Peterborough, Ont.