FSIN 'Lifetime Chief' Lawrence Joseph remembered for his legacy at funeral service

Darla Ponace · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 25, 2025 7:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Lawrence Joseph, the "lifetime chief" of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations who died connected Sunday, was remembered by friends and household connected Thursday arsenic a humble antheral who stood gangly for his household and his people.

Family and friends celebrated his beingness and accomplishments astatine his ceremonial work astatine St. Alban's Anglican Cathedral successful Prince Albert.

Kevin Joseph, 1 of his sons, said portion his father's beingness arsenic an Indigenous person was important, his existent bequest was his family, and the kindness and emotion helium had for each people. 

"My dada was fixed a three- to five-year beingness condemnation from the information helium was battling 8 years ago," helium said.. 

"Right up until his past 24 hours, helium took my ma connected a date. He took her retired to the casino, [and] helium said "I'm not going to deterioration my oxygen, and we're going to usage my money."

Joseph, who was calved the Big River First Nation connected May 19, 1945, and his wife, Priscilla, were joined for 57 years, and raised a household of 5 children: Kevin, Richard, Warren, Sheryl, Trina.

Kevin Joseph said his begetter was peculiarly arrogant of his service with the 44th Royal Canadian Army Militia and besides arsenic a civilian teacher with National Defence. He besides received the Queen's Commission successful the Royal Canadian Air Force Reserves wherever helium initially received the fertile of aviator serviceman that was rapidly upgraded to flying officer. 

"The 21-gun salute by veterans [at the ceremonial service] was truthful beauteous due to the fact that my dada raised america from the clip I was a small kid: 'If you spot a veteran, you halt what you're doing. You spell shingle his hand,'" helium recalled. 

"So erstwhile I saw those veterans — those ones that are successful wheelchairs using their small spot of spot that they person to basal and salute my dad — that brought tears to my eyes due to the fact that my dad loved those veterans truthful much.

"He was truthful arrogant to deterioration that azygous and that's what we buried him successful it," his son said.

"My dada had nary dada and became the top dad," Joseph said. "He said helium knows everyone says that, but helium truly was a large begetter figure to his ain children, and others.  

"We shared my dada with the world, with the nation, and with the communities astir us," helium said. "We saw that successful afloat unit from the hundreds and hundreds of radical who showed up successful idiosyncratic and reached retired to america implicit the past fewer days." 

'A large honour'

He pointed retired that among Cree people "our conception of wealthiness isn't dollars and cents. Our conception of wealthiness is abundance of wellness and the abundance of family. My dada had truthful galore radical who adopted him arsenic a dad. That's a large honour."

Kevin said his begetter told him that if you emotion something, springiness to it and nurture it. 

"That's what my dada did," helium said. "He loved those veterans, helium loved the indigenous people. He loved each people." 

Joseph said his begetter dedicated himself to the radical erstwhile helium became FSIN chief, and helium didn't bash it for glory or awards: He was a humble servant, who hardly slept for 15 years portion successful that position.

"He said if our radical are starving, if our radical are addicted, my enactment is not done, past I cannot remainder properly," Joseph said Kevin. "And that was my dad."  

Joseph was honoured with the rubric of FSIN "Lifetime Chief" successful 2022.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said portion Joseph is remembered for his advocacy of Indigenous rights and the emotion of his family, helium "was a singular man" of galore titles.

"He was a antheral of the church, helium was a musician, helium was a veteran, helium was a healer, helium was an adviser, helium was a guidance counsellor, helium was a physicist," helium said. "The database goes connected and connected of what this antheral has accomplished, and what helium was successful life.  

"He had a unsocial acquisition to speak, and a unsocial acquisition successful helping radical heal, and helping families amended their lives," helium said. "That was his acquisition arsenic a leader."

Cameron said helium spoke connected the telephone with Joseph astir daily, and helium looked to him for guidance, arsenic did galore others. 

He called Joseph a walking room of cognition and wisdom. "It's a important loss," helium said. "I'm going to miss this man.  His bequest and his sanction volition unrecorded connected forever." 

Chief Tammy Cook-Searson of Lac La Ronge Indian Band,  an honorary pallbearer who was asked to talk astatine the service, said Joseph was ne'er acrophobic to talk up for Indigenous people, calling him "an astonishing relation model." 

"He fought hard," she said. "He went to uncomfortable places, but helium stood determination strong."