Wow, I can't believe I am coming across this question! I work at a Veteran organization and we are working to honour Indigenous veterans. I wasn't sure how I felt about working there, but my reasoning is that I want to show that many Indigenous served in Canada because non Indigenous people need to know this history so that they can begin to respect Indigenous peoples... I am glad you provided this discussion.
I have the same questions. I am a veteran of Iraq 04-05. I have thought about this alot though. It is a source of pride for native people to be a warrior. Not only that, but serving the US in the military shows that despite the way native people have been treated by the federal govt, native people are still willing to fight and die as a warrior for this country. That says a lot. As far as being an officer, I think it is up to the individual. I was infantry, and my officers were some of the greatest people I have ever known. However, they are different than the average person. They have a drive that most of us don't. Another way you could lead young native people to serve is in the special forces. Just something to think about.
