Bert Nakogee
Section 17, Lot 4346
Prospect Cemetery
Private Bertie Nakogee, a Native of the Taykwa Tagamou Nation was born in Moose Factory, Ontario in 1882, and died in Base Hospital, Toronto December 26, 1916 of pneumonia. He was a 34 year-old hunter and trapper who had enlisted July 20, 1916 in Moose Factory into 228th (Northern Fusiliers) Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force for overseas service. A native of New Post, ON his name was mistakenly spelt as “Nackogie,” an error that took 96 years to correct. On his death, since it was not possible to transport Mr. Nakogee home to Moose Factory by dog-sled, to be interred with his family members, his burial took place in Prospect Cemetery. Bertie Nakogee was given a funeral with full military honours, including a flag draped casket conveyed to the grave by a gun carriage and crew supplied by the 70th Battery in 1916, but which did not acknowledge his Aboriginal background. Furthermore, a permanent memorial had never been placed on his gravesite in Prospect Cemetery. Nor apparently were government officials in Ottawa informed of his whereabouts. Therefore for 96 years Bertie Nakogee lay in an unknown and unmarked grave known only to the Great Creator. But Bertie finally had his day. On Saturday, April 28th, 2012 at 11:00 a.m., an unveiling /memorial service was held at Prospect Cemetery for Private Bertie Nakogee. The service was organised and facilitated by Bob Richardson, a member of the C.E.F. Study Group Forum.