Remembering Corporal Russ Moses: A Life of Service, Resilience, and Indigenous Leadership

Corporal Russ Moses was a survivor of Canada’s notorious school system, a proud Korean War veteran and a strong advocate for Indigenous representation. Throughout his life, however, he refused to be defined solely by his experience at residential school. His story is one of resilience, service, leadership and determination to create a life beyond the circumstances of his childhood.

A member of the Delaware Band of the Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Moses attended the Mohawk Institute in Brantford, Ontario from 1942 to 1947. He was only eight years old when he arrived. His younger sister and older brother were also students at the school where they endured harsh conditions and inhumane treatment while receiving a substandard education that offered them few opportunities for their future.

Like many Indigenous youth of his generation, Moses viewed the military as an opportunity to change the direction of his life. According to his son, John Moses, the military offered his father “a way up and a way out of his childhood circumstances.” At age 18, Moses joined the Royal Canadian Navy, beginning a 15-year career in the Canadian Armed Forces.

“He wanted to put as much distance, both geographically and otherwise, between himself and the Mohawk Institute,” John explains.

That opportunity came quickly. During his first training operation aboard HMCS Ontario, Moses travelled around the world, fulfilling his dream of seeing places far beyond the community where he had grown up. His military career eventually brought him to the Korean War. He deployed to Korea aboard HMCS Iroquois and was on board when the destroyer came under enemy fire on October 2, 1952. Three sailors were killed and many others were wounded, marking the first — and only — Canadian Navy fatalities of the Korean War.

Moses joined the federal public service as preparations were beginning for Canada's centennial celebrations in 1967. He went on to serve as Deputy Commissioner General of the Indians of Canada Pavilion at Expo 67 in Montreal.

Expo 67, officially the International and Universal Exposition of 1967, was one of the most successful world's fairs of the 20th century. More than 50 million visitors from around the world attended, including diplomats and heads of state. Among the approximately 90 pavilions was the Indians of Canada Pavilion, which presented Indigenous art, cultural artifacts and perspectives while drawing attention to the challenges and injustices facing Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

For Moses, the pavilion represented much more than an exhibition. It provided an opportunity for Indigenous peoples to represent themselves before national and international audiences at a time when Indigenous voices were often excluded from public discussions about their own lives and communities.

“He was very proud of that Pavilion,” John recalls, describing it as “a huge watershed in terms of Indigenous self-representation before national and global audiences.”

Moses's commitment to telling the truth about his own experiences was also evident when he entered the federal public service in 1965. His new supervisor asked him to provide a summary of his views on residential schools. Moses responded by writing a memoir about his years at the Mohawk Institute.

Only five pages long, the memoir is nevertheless a powerful firsthand account of life inside a Canadian residential school. Moses describes the experience of being underfed, overworked and devalued as an Indigenous child. His words provide an unflinching perspective on the daily realities of residential school life and offer an important primary source for understanding the impact these institutions had on Indigenous children.

For educators, Moses's story offers an opportunity to explore residential schools within the broader context of Indigenous history and Canadian society. His life reminds us that survivors were not simply defined by what happened to them. They were students, family members, veterans, public servants, community leaders and advocates who continued to shape their own lives and contribute to their communities.

Moses's memoir is particularly valuable because it allows students to encounter residential school history through the words and perspective of someone who experienced it firsthand. At the same time, his military and public-service careers demonstrate the many ways Indigenous people have contributed to Canada's history, even while facing systemic discrimination and the lasting effects of colonial policies.

Russ Moses sadly passed away in 2013. His life therefore tells two stories at once: the story of a child who endured the profound harms of residential school, and the story of an adult who built a life of service, leadership and purpose. Remembering both aspects of his life allows us to recognize the injustice he experienced without allowing that injustice to define the entirety of who he was.

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