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This post was updated on 11 April 2026. Reason for update: Added a Timeline of Solidarity.
Native Americans Recognised The Parallels
When Ukraine was invaded by the Russian Federation in 2022, some Native Americans* and First Nation Peoples of Canada quickly recognised the parallels between their history and that of Ukraine. The tragedy unfolding in Ukraine further instilled an already existing kinship between these Indigenous Peoples and Ukrainians due to their shared history of colonial oppression. The Indigenous Peoples of the continent recognised that the early Ukrainian settlers had come from lands stolen from them to their lands, also stolen. The bond between Native Americans and Ukrainians has grown significantly since 2022.
Native Americans and Ukrainians in a Parallel World
Infographic for Native Americans and Ukrainians
Dr Francis Whiskeyjack tells his story of early contacts with Ukrainians
The majority of young Indigenous People who were forced to labour on farms throughout the prairies were not compensated for their work. However, Dr Whiskeyjack was treated kindly by the Ukrainian family he worked for, and he took pride in his ability to generate money to support his family on the reserve. He remembers, “One summer, I worked for them, and they gave me a large, plump sow. I got it transformed into bacon and meat. They always had great big gardens, and they’d give me beets, carrots, corn and all kinds of vegetables to bring home to my family.”
Photo: CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed via Flickr. Image has been cropped.
When Dr Whiskeyjack was initially sent to work for a Ukrainian family at the age of 14, he found respite from his torment on earth at the Blue Quills Residential School near St. Paul, Alberta. In an interview with Cultural Survival, he recalls, “They were really kind.” “The farmer would take me under his wing and give me wages at the end of summer.”
Dr Whiskeyjack was trained in operating and maintaining farm machinery, as well as agricultural tasks such as baling hay. He was also well-fed on the farm.
According to Dr Whiskeyjack, the Ukrainian cuisine, featuring varenyky, sausages, and cabbage rolls, was particularly delicious. He says that even after working for Ukrainian farmers for several summers, he encountered other Ukrainians when he started working at a nearby power plant. He said that they always treated him as a “brother,” which was in sharp contrast to the treatment he received from the French settlers who lived nearby, who denigrated him due to his Indigenous heritage.
“The relationship was good. I never encountered any prejudice from the Ukrainians in our neighbourhood; therefore, I didn’t find that they were ever racist. The Ukrainians must have known what it was like to be viewed as less intelligent than people of other races. They upheld our nation’s dignity and exhibited compassion. On the other hand, if I visited St. Paul, I recall that the French were prejudiced and held a strong dislike for Native Americans”.
Upon learning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Dr Whiskeyjack expressed concern for the people of Ukraine. He said several First Nations communities in the area are holding sweat lodge ceremonies* for Ukraine, and he has been praying for those who are in the line of fire. “As someone already familiar with mistreatment, this war represents another attempt at the subjugation of a people and their nation. From a humanitarian standpoint, I see it as another Holocaust.”
*Many Native American societies practice sweat lodge ceremonies, which are essential spiritual, cultural, and utilitarian rituals.
Source: Adapted from Cultural Survivals. Read the full article.
Native Americans and Ukrainians wearing kokum scarves in solidarity with Ukraine
The Kokum scarf* is the most popular name for a headscarf introduced to North America by Ukrainian settlers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These colourful scarves were traded for equally colourful Native North American beadwork.
*Kokum is the Cree word for grandmother.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many Native North Americans and First Nations people of Canada started wearing kokum scarves en masse in solidarity with Ukraine. Previously, these scarves were primarily used ceremonially.
Photograph: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed via Flickr by Maureen McCarthy.
The photograph above is from the 122nd Arlee Esyapqeyni Celebration Powwow from 2022 in Arlee, Montana. Spokane Tribal member David Brown Eagle and his wife are pictured. David Brown Eagle’s wife has her hat decorated with a kokum scarf, a Native American and First Nations show of solidarity with the people of Ukraine.
Indigenous communities wear kokum scarves to show solidarity with Ukraine
Watch the video from CBC News: The National.
The Cherokee Nation condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Cherokee Nation, one of the largest Indigenous Peoples of the U.S., quickly voiced support for Ukraine through Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr., who tweeted and posted on Facebook on 26 February 2024, that:
The Cherokee Nation stands with the people of Ukraine. It condemns in the strongest possible terms the unlawful invasion by the Russian Federation. Our Nation knows well how vitally important the right to self-determination is because, in our history, we have at times been denied that right and the ability to chart our own destiny as a people.
To see this unjustified use of brutal force is both disheartening and distressing. It is also in direct contravention of Russia’s obligations under the UN Charter, which safeguards the territorial integrity of states, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states in clear and unequivocal terms that all peoples have the right to self-determination. That includes, of course, the Ukrainian people. We call on the United States and all its NATO allies to stand steadfast and resolute and take all necessary steps to repel this heinous act of aggression.
Source: Chief Chuck Hoskin, Jr’s Facebook Page and X Account. In 2022, X was known as Twitter.
The Yakama Nation condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine
The Yakama Nation Tribal Council of Washington formally denounced Russia’s invasion and compared it to attacks on tribal nations by non-tribal people upon their arrival in 1492. Subsequently, the tribe sent the American Red Cross $ 5,000 to support its members working in Eastern Europe.
Source: The Yakima Herald-Republic media outlet.
Other aspects of relations between First Nations and Ukrainian settlers and their descendants
A complicated history that makes today’s bond even more significant
While solidarity has been widely expressed, it is important to acknowledge complexities and divisions within First Nations and Ukrainian settler relationships.
In March 2022, Leah Hrycun was interviewed by ATPN National News. At the time, she was a researcher and PhD candidate at the University of Alberta. Currently, Hrycun holds a Graduate Teaching Assistantship at the University of Alberta.
Hrycun tells us that:
Numerous tales exist of Indigenous People reaching out to Ukrainian settlers to guide and support them during their first winters in their new land. However, I’ve also heard incredibly sad tales of Métis and First Nations individuals being shunned by Ukrainian families.
Nevertheless, by wearing kokum scarves and sharing these images on social media, Indigenous People have been demonstrating support for Ukraine during the Russian invasion, which started with a full-scale attack on 24 February.
In the beginning, the early Ukrainian settlers had a lot of empathy for Indigenous People because they went through a lot of the same struggles.
However, as concepts of multiculturalism grew throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Ukrainian-Canadian population began to find a home within the country’s wider white settler society.
Around this time, they began to genuinely embrace the same mindset as the rest of Canada’s settlers. They were now part of the sizeable white colonist population.
Just as mainstream Canada had done, they frequently went back to marginalising Indigenous People.
Source: Adapted from ATPN National News. Read the full story and watch the video.
In summary, I want to leave the final words to a quote from Dr Francis Whiskeyjack
From a humanitarian standpoint, I see it as another Holocaust.
A Timeline of Solidarity
Native Americans and Ukrainians
The Immediate Response
Shortly after the full-scale invasion, Indigenous leaders across North America, including the Assembly of First Nations (Canada) and various Tribal Nations in the US, issued formal statements of solidarity. The “Kokum Scarf” (a traditional Ukrainian headscarf) quickly became a viral symbol of this bond, with thousands of Indigenous people wearing the scarves to show they stood with Ukraine.
Source: This post.
Indigenous-Ukrainian relationship projects
The Indigenous-Ukrainian Relationship Initiative (IURI) is a collaborative project dedicated to exploring and rebuilding the shared histories of Indigenous and Ukrainian-Canadian communities in east central Alberta.
Source: Indigenous-Ukrainian Relationship Initiative
“Kokum Calls You” (University of Calgary)
The Werklund School of Education hosted an important meeting titled “Kokum Calls You.” This event moved the focus to an educational context, highlighting the historical “Kokum scarf” as a symbol of shared history. It highlighted how early Ukrainian settlers and Indigenous peoples formed a bond based on mutual respect and the shared experience of surviving imperial oppression. Source: Kokum Calls You
The First Congress of Indigenous Peoples
In a historic move, the First Congress of the Indigenous Peoples of Ukraine was held in Kyiv. While centred on groups like the Crimean Tatars, there are significant parallels with North American Indigenous rights advocates. The Congress issued a resolution calling for the decolonisation of occupied lands, a theme that resonates deeply with the “Land Back” movements in North America. Source: The First Congress of Indigenous Peoples
Shared Veteran Support Initiatives
The Canadian government announced a new £29 million ($51 million CAD) aid package for Ukraine, specifically allocating funds for veteran reintegration and PTSD support. Canadian officials noted that they are actively sharing “lessons learned” from supporting Indigenous veterans, who have a long history of military service, to help Ukraine launch a home-grown mentoring network. for returning soldiers.. Source: Government of Canada.
This post is based on trending internet content in 2022 about Native Americans and Ukrainians and their solidarity with Ukraine. As we have now entered the fifth year of war in Ukraine and mainstream media attention has shifted to other global tragedies, I am interested in discovering any more recent events or information related to this topic.
It is inspiring to watch how the shared experience of resilience among First Nations, Native Americans and Ukrainians continues to inform modern efforts for sovereignty everywhere.
You may be one of the people or Indigenous Nations I have written about, and you would like to add to this story. You could be Indigenous American, Ukrainian or of Ukrainian descent.
If you have further information, and would prefer writing to me, my contact details are here.
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