The National Aboriginal Veterans Monument

I've always wondered about this statue (not the two teddy bears in front of it mind, God knows what they are doing there) - but the horrific car-orientated nature of downtown Ottawa means I have never really got off my behind to find out what it is.

Well, it is the the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument, and a beautiful statue it is too. According to the GoC, who maintain it:  

"Four figures represent the various Aboriginal groups in Canada. Two of the figures hold weapons, and two hold spiritual objects. They convey a sense of balance, implying that often a desire for peace lies at the root of war. An eagle occupies the highest point of the sculpture. It symbolizes the Creator (known as the Thunderbird), and embodies the spirit of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. The four animals — wolf, grizzly, buffalo and caribou — represent spiritual guides."

Another reminder of the futility and stupidity of war, and of the many millions of lives cut short or irreparably damaged by it.