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Nels Mitchell on the left with Wilfred Matthew
World War II
Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada

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Although Secwepemc were not treated as equal "human beings" and with racial discrimination the federal government had no such discriminatory position on who would go off to war. The Secwepemc who did go off to fight in the two great world wars did so with pride and hope for the land in which they lived. Upon returning from these wars the Secwepemc did not recieve benefit or honor as being an "Indian" until recently in the 1990's did first nations veterans recieve recognition.