“Even the Youngest Can Help” the First World War, Girls and the Junior Red Cross in Western Canada

Abstract

This thesis explores the history of the Junior Red Cross (JRC) in Western Canada during the First World War and immediately afterward. It aims to fill in some of the gaps in scholarship that surrounds the history of Canadians in the war and, in particular, the experiences of Western Canadian girls. By studying a group such as the JRC, this thesis provides insight into the experiences of women and girls in the early 20th century. While a co-ed organization, the Junior Red Cross had a majority of female members and they catered to these members through their fund-raising efforts. Involvement in this organization offered girls opportunities for leadership and a chance to contribute to society as full-fledged citizens. However, the JRC’s treatment of recent immigrant and Indigenous children complicates the history of the organization. The use of their branch at the File Hills residential school for assimilation purposes furthered the colonial, assimilationist agendas of the provincial and federal government.