REGINA, Sask. — The Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) of Regina has launched Living Honour, an interactive website developed in partnership with the University of Regina's Faculty of Media, Art, and Performance and sponsored by the Indigenous Veterans Monument Committee.
The site allows users to experience a 360-degree view of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Veterans Monument located in Regina’s Victoria Park, from anywhere in the world.
The monument is a permanent reminder of the contributions and sacrifices made by Indigenous members of Canada’s Armed Forces and of the discrimination and injustices many Indigenous veterans faced when they returned to civilian life.
“This monument reminds us that service and sacrifice have taken many forms and that remembrance has not always included the experiences of all those who served. But not everyone is able to visit a monument in person,” says Kelsey Lonie, executive director and chief historian, RUSI Regina.
“And a monument alone cannot share the personal stories behind the words etched on stone. This interactive website helps bridge that gap, making these stories accessible to a much wider audience.”
The website was designed by five University of Regina students: Samantha Lizamon, Carmen Jerry, Sydney Coleman, Bee Bird, and Kadence Meredith. The students were mentored by Dr. Charity Marsh, Creative Technologies & Design Department head and professor, through a fourth-year professional placement course.
“It has been incredibly rewarding to see our students bring their creativity, technical expertise, and care to a project of such significance,” says Marsh.
“Living Honour is a powerful example of how digital media can create meaningful opportunities for students to apply their learning in a professional context while contributing to work that will educate and resonate with people for generations to come.”
Living Honour combines Indigenous stories and digital media to create an interactive educational experience. Users can explore the monument through seasonal environments and soundscapes, watch video interviews with Indigenous veterans and soldiers, learn about the history of Saskatchewan Indigenous veterans in English and French, and discover how the concept of honour is represented in seven Indigenous languages spoken in Saskatchewan.
The monument itself was developed by the Saskatchewan Indigenous Veterans Monument Committee, a group of Indigenous veterans’ organizations, volunteers, and community leaders dedicated to ensuring these stories are recognized and remembered. The monument was supported by the City of Regina and Government of Saskatchewan, with funding from community donors and provincial and federal governments.
Through Living Honour, the monument now reaches audiences wherever they are, carrying forward the stories of Indigenous service, sacrifice, resilience and honour for generations to come.
Visit Living Honour, here: https://livinghonour.rusiregina.ca/
