On a Canadian Forces Base in Winnipeg, Chief Warrant Officer Joel Pedersen received some new insignia on his uniform.
As the crowd erupted in applause, he became the first, First Nations person to hold the role of Brigade Sgt. Major in the Canadian Armed Forces.
“Having the opportunity to be in this position and this appointment, it’s humbling,” he told APTN News. “I didn’t see myself ever being here, and I am here, and I appreciate all the people who helped me to get here.”
Military upbringing
A member of the Fond du Lac First Nation in Saskatchewan, Pedersen grew up in a military family in Brandon, Man., and Prince Albert, Sask.
He joined the forces at 17, while still in high school. It was his mother who inspired him to join.
“She was in the military as a young person, and so was my Dad, and she encouraged me to look at joining the army reserves,” he said. “And that’s what I did.”
In his new role as the Brigade Sgt. Major of the 38 Canadian Brigade Group – the largest, geographically in Canada– Pedersen will oversee 16 army reserves in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and northwest Ontario.
“I’m the most senior Sargeant Major within the brigade and my responsibility, really, is to all the men and women of the brigade,” he said. “The brigade is both operationally domestic, you know, fighting fires, floods, but also international operations.”
A decorated role model
During the ceremony, Pedersen was commended for his role as a mentor in the Bold Eagle program.
Since 1989, the six-week summer program run by the Canadian Armed Forces has provided military training to First Nations, Inuit and Métis youth. There’s a focus on discipline and leadership, Pedersen said.
“The program, in the essence of it, was to really build that bridge for younger people,” he said. “What it’s grown into now is a real opportunity for reconciliation for a lot of people…after thirty-plus years, we see generations of those Bold Eagle graduates.”
Some in attendance, like Dutch Lerat, the 2nd vice chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, travelled from Saskatchewan to witness the ceremony.
Lerat described Pedersen as a role model to those within and outside the forces.
“It puts one First Nation from Fond du Lac, northern Saskatchewan into a position now where he can continue being that role model, not only to those at home, but those within the army structure,” Lerat said. “So, it’s a very important day, and we’re here to celebrate that with him.”
Rising to the challenge
From travelling to bases across Canada and the U.S. to training in Norway and Italy, Pedersen’s military career has taken him on a trek around the world.
Outside of military life, he founded 2J2 Training & Fitness, a community-minded health and wellness company based in Saskatoon.
He looks forward to rising to the challenge and leading with courage in his new role.
“I’ve gone a lot of places and those were all great experiences, but where I’m at now is an opportunity to share with others the importance of what not only being a First Nations person can do, but also to ensure the success of the Brigade as we move forward into a time where we’re going to be more in demand, and more operational,” he said.
Reflecting on his career, he shares advice for Indigenous youth interested in joining the armed forces.
“It’s a wonderful career,” he said. “There are lots of opportunities, and when a door opens, you need to take the opportunity and step through it.”
