The late Henry Beaudry Sr. (right) from Poundmaker, Mosquito and Sweetgrass First Nations is shown serving in the Second World War. The celebrated artist and veteran is among a number of Indigenous people from Canada and the U.S. featured in a new book by Italian author Matteo Incerti. (Henry Grant Beaudry Jr./submitted photo) 

By Angela Brown

Lives remembered

Book honours Henry Beaudry Sr., among prominent Indigenous veterans who helped liberate Italy in WWII

Jun 26, 2020 | 6:05 PM

A newly released book tells the story of the Indigenous people from Canada and the U.S. who helped liberate Italy during the Second World War.

Written in Italian, I pellerossa che liberarono l’Italia, by author Matteo Incerti, also features the late Henry Beaudry Sr., a long-celebrated artist and veteran of Poundmaker First Nation, who resided on Mosquito and Sweetgrass First Nations.

His son, Henry “Grant” Beaudry Jr., said his father would be humbled to see his experiences shared in this story.

“He said if one day if his story could be told it would be amazing for him,” Grant said.

It is expected the book may be released in English in the future.

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Henry Beaudry Sr. fought on the beaches of Sicily like many other Indigenous soldiers.

Grant said he is honoured to see the life of his father, who passed away in 2016 in his late 90s, chronicled in this work.

His father was originally born Henry Poundmaker, and was a direct descendant of the legendary Chief Poundmaker. He enlisted for service in the Second World War at a young age.

“He used to tell me that his life was so incredible. It was so incredible that he survived World War II,” Grant said. “Even when they hit the beaches of Sicily, and bullets were whizzing by him, he said: ‘Yet I made it. I lost my friends, my comrades, together First Nations that fell on the beaches of Sicily.”

Henry Beaudry Sr. was a POW survivor and escaped Stalag VII-A, Germany’s largest prisoner-of-war camp.

Grant describes his father as a very kind and compassionate man. He said the experience and horrors of war had a profound impact on him.

“I feel very honoured for him, and for my family that somebody reached out to us about his story, and to have it told in another country,” Grant said. “Hopefully, one day the family can get together and write our own book about his experiences.”

Matteo Incerti said in a message to battlefordsNOW his book aims to re-tell some of the history of the Second World War and the Italian Campaign, as well of the Indigenous culture and “fight for rights after centuries of discrimination.”

He said in addition to Henry Beaudry Sr., the piece also features stories of many other prominent veterans such as David Greyeyes (Muskeg Lake Cree Nation) and Tommy Prince (Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, MB.).

Incerti said the book recognizes the many Indigenous soldiers from Canadian and U.S. forces who served in the Italian Campaign for their bravery, and their extreme sacrifice.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW