Our Heroes

Mark “Ninnonista” Wolfleg Sr. was born on February 4, 1919, and was a proud member of the Siksika Nation. Raised within the traditions of his people, Mark traced his family to the Hard Rope Clan and carried with him a deep respect for Siksika culture, spirituality and community throughout his life.

Before the Second World War, Mark worked at the coal mines near the eastern end of the Siksika reserve. During a visit to Calgary, he noticed an army recruiting sign while walking along Eighth Avenue. Acting on impulse, he entered the recruiting office and volunteered for service—beginning a journey that would take him far from his family and homeland.

Mark served with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment, also known as the 49th Battalion, through North Africa and the Italian Campaign. He fought alongside Canadians from across the country and witnessed the devastating human cost of war. In a 1983 oral-history interview, Mark remembered those who survived and those who did not. He described war not in terms of glory, but as an experience marked by loneliness, hardship and loss.

Before Mark departed overseas, his uncle took him to a respected Siksika Elder named Eagle Ribs, who made a sacred vow for his safe return. When Mark came home from the war, he fulfilled that vow by joining the Horn Society and accepting responsibility for one of its sacred bundles. In the years that followed, returning to Siksika spirituality helped him overcome the anger and pain he carried home from the battlefield. His wartime experiences also deepened his compassion for Elders and children, whom he remembered as suffering greatly during the conflict.

Like many First Nations servicemen, Mark returned to Canada without receiving the same benefits and support made available to other veterans. Reflecting on this injustice, he recalled that no distinction had been made between Indigenous and non-Indigenous soldiers while they served on the front lines: “We fought the war for Canada.”

One of Mark’s most meaningful later journeys was his return to Ortona, Italy, where he visited the grave of his close friend and fellow Siksika soldier Gordon Yellow Fly, who was killed in action on December 27, 1943. A photograph preserved from that visit shows Mark kneeling beside his friend’s Commonwealth war grave—a powerful testament to friendship, remembrance and the lasting bonds created through service.

For his service, Mark received the 1939–1945 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, Defence Medal, Canadian Volunteer Service Medal with clasp, War Medal 1939–1945, Canadian Aboriginal War Veterans Medal and Saskatchewan Indian D-Day War Veterans Medal.

Mark was remembered by his family as an active, independent “old cowboy” who continued working well into retirement. When he passed away on January 22, 2009, at the age of 89, he was recognized as the last surviving Siksika veteran of the Second World War.

Mark Wolfleg Sr. served his country with courage, carried the memory of his fallen comrades throughout his life and found healing through the spiritual traditions of his people. His story remains an enduring part of the military and cultural history of the Siksika Nation.

Lest we forget.