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A cross-cultural connection

“Liberating a country rang true for many Indigenous Peoples because of their experience of losing their land. Protecting land and community is a strong part of their cultural identity,” says Dr. Mathilde Roza, Associate Professor of North American Literature and North American Studies in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Dr. Roza has created the first museum exhibit that tells the story of soldiers from First Nations and Métis communities who helped liberate the Netherlands in 1945. It’s called Indigenous Liberators: The story of First Nations and Métis who helped free the Netherlands in the Second World War and opens May 2 at the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek, the Netherlands.

“For several, though not for all, serving was an opportunity to reinvigorate the warrior and preserver tradition of their culture,” says Dr. Roza.

The Inspiration

Dr. Roza explains that she was inspired to create this exhibit during a visit to the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

“Every grave marker has an implied history, and many different stories coalesce in a cemetery. But the stories about the soldiers as individuals are often lost within the general history.”

As many as 4,000 people from Indigenous communities across Canada served in the Canadian military during the Second World War. From February to May 1945, the First Canadian Army liberated the Netherlands, encountered fierce German resistance and suffered heavy casualties.

Some 4,600 Canadians lie in war cemeteries in the Netherlands. Of the over 2,300 soldiers buried at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, more than 120 are of First Nations or Métis descent.

Following her visit to the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Dr. Roza began investigating the service and background of First Nations and Métis members of the Allied forces in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Following her visit to the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, Dr. Roza began investigating the service and background of First Nations and Métis members of the Allied forces in the Netherlands during the Second World War. She came into contact with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 005, which had recently launched the Indigenous Legacy Project, and with researchers connected to the Canadian War cemeteries in Groesbeek, Holten and Bergen op Zoom. As part of her research, she also visited Indigenous communities in Canada and the U.S. in 2022 and 2024, meeting families of those who served, including some who died in the Netherlands.

“Sometimes there’s just nothing people can tell me. You know, sometimes people really don’t know, because they're talking about their fathers or grandfathers, who never even talked about the war.” Dr. Roza reflected. “But generally, I have been very moved by their interest, support and gratitude that their family members are being remembered in the Netherlands.”

The exhibit

The museum exhibit includes photographs, biographies, interviews and objects that tell the stories of Indigenous soldiers who fought to liberate the Netherlands. People like Robert Simon Odjick, from Kitigan Zibi, Quebec, who died 17 April 1945.

Also from Kitigan Zibi was Michael Scott, who brought back clogs as souvenirs.

Albert Tarbell of the Mohawks of Akwesasne First Nation is also featured. Dr Roza interviewed Tarbell’s son, Mike, who is not only a Vietnam Veteran but also a cultural interpreter at the Iroquois Cultural Center in Cobleskill, New York. He says his father served with the US army and was known as “a codetalker.”

Another Veteran profiled is Patrick Eagle Child of the Blackfoot Nation in Alberta. “He survived the war and returned to his community as a warrior,” Dr. Roza says. “A warrior is much more than a fighter in a physical combat situation—they are preservers of culture and tradition, ritual and ceremony."

Dr. Roza has also included one “liberation child” in her exhibition, born of a First Nations father and a Dutch mother. This was Wilhelmus (“Willy”) van Ee. He was the son of Walter Mejaki of the Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation in Ontario and Hendrike van Ee, who fell in love during the war. The couple was not permitted to stay together and young Willy grew up without knowing his heritage until he was an adult.

When Willy learned of his true heritage, his father had already passed away. He visited the Wikwemikong First Nation, and was welcomed by the community. To this day, his son Mike, who lives in the Netherlands, still visits.

The Freedom Museum exhibit touches on many themes, including why Indigenous people might have joined the fight to liberate a country an ocean away. It touches on the way that young people from Indigenous communities grew up, including information about residential schools, and the stereotypes that were associated with Indigenous soldiers.

It also highlights the battles fought, including Operation Market Garden, the Battle of the Scheldt, and the liberation of the north-east Netherlands.

The exhibit concludes with the postwar experiences of several of the survivors, and the contributions they made to their communities at home. It also discusses topics such as commemoration, recognition and healing.

“I hope that people will come to the exhibit, and learn about an important part of the war that they did not know before,” Dr. Roza says.

The exhibit will be open to the public at the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek, Netherlands, from 2 May to 30 November 2025.

With courage, integrity and loyalty, Dr. Mathilde Roza is leaving her mark. She is helping to draw attention to the legacy of Indigenous Veterans.

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