Niagara College’s Libraries and Learning Commons, in partnership with Indigenous Education, is hosting a living library event in honour of Indigenous Veterans Day, observed annually across Canada on November 8.
The event will take place on Nov. 6 from 1 to 3 p.m. and will feature two guest speakers – retired Command Sergeant Major Ronald L. Cook Jr. and Vietnam Veteran Tom Dockstader – who will share their experiences as Indigenous Veterans.
NC employees, students, alumni and community members are invited to register for the virtual event, which will be held via Zoom.
Moderated by NC’s Indigenous Education and Cultural Consultant Karl Dockstader, the conversation will highlight the contributions of the thousands of Indigenous peoples who have served their country in times of war, conflict and peace.
In Canada, it has been estimated that as many as 12,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit people served in the great conflicts of the 20th century, with at least 500 of them sadly losing their lives. To learn more about the legacy of Indigenous Veterans ahead of the living library event, visit the Government of Canada website.
About the speakers
Retired Command Sergeant Major Ronald L. Cook Jr., who is the uncle of Jessica Winger from NC Indigenous Education
Retired Command Sergeant Major Ronald L. Cook Jr. is a Seneca Nation Snipe Clan citizen from Cattaraugus. Across 27 years of active service CSM Cook served overseas and has had combat tours in Panama, South Asia, and Iraq.
Upon retirement, Ron worked to help youth struggling with addiction, and works alongside his fellow veterans in community. CSM Cook’s son has worked actively to honour Veterans by designing the Marvin “Joe” Curry Veteran Powwow logo and his daughter serves in the Navy to protect Turtle Island continuing the family legacy of military service.
Vietnam Veteran Tom Dockstader, who is the father of Karl Dockstader from NC Indigenous Education
Tom Dockstader is a Buffalo born Oneida Bear Clan citizen. He served in the Vietnam War achieving the rank of Staff Sergeant in 1971. After his service Tom went on to get his Masters in Education from the State University of New York at Buffalo which he used to dedicate his career to helping his people in Southern Ontario and Western New York where he is now retired.
“Indigenous Veterans Day: In Conversation with Retired Command Sergeant Major Ronald L. Cook Jr. and Vietnam Veteran Tom Dockstader” is the eighth installment in the living library series from the Libraries and Learning Commons.
Register for the event here.
About the living library series
Living library events seek to provide a forum for guest speakers to share their experiences with audiences firsthand. The concept, where books are people and reading consists of a conversation, has been adopted by organizations across the globe to challenge stereotypes, stigma, prejudice and discrimination.
The NC Libraries and Learning Commons team has hosted educational events in the living library format for Treaties Recognition Week in Fall 2020, Black History Month in February 2021, Pride Month in June 2021 and June 2023, National Indigenous Education Month in November 2021, Asian Heritage Month in May 2022 and environmental awareness and sustainability in October 2022.
Recordings are available on the library’s website.
