Our Warrior Spirit: Native Americans in the U.S. Military

Native Americans have served in the U.S. military since the American Revolution, and by percentage serve more than any other ethnic group in the armed forces. Join us at a special program as Native veterans share their heroic and unforgettable stories of service in conflicts, and noted scholar and author Herman J. Viola, curator emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution, chronicles the roles of Native soldiers from 1770 to the present, including tales of tragedy, humor, loyalty, and conflict.

The program features a panel of American Indians who have served our country in the armed forces, including Debra Kay Mooney (Choctaw), an Iraq War veteran who organized and hosted a powwow in a war zone in Iraq in 2004 (objects from the powwow will be on display at the museum during the program); Chuck Boers (Lipan Apache/Cherokee), an Iraq War veteran and the recipient of two Bronze Star and three Purple Heart medals; John Emhoolah (Kiowa), a Korean War Veteran who joined the Oklahoma Thunderbird Division when he was still in high school and later helped lobby for the passage of the Native American Religious Freedom Act; and Joseph Medicine Crow, a World War II veteran who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Barack Obama. Jason Giles—attorney, Marine Corps Captain, and tribal citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation—moderates.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Native
• American
• National
• Museum
• Military
• Service
• War
• Warrior
• World
• WWI
• WWII
• Korea
• Vietnam
• Civil
• U.S.
• MilitaryWar
• Revolutionary
• Veteran
• Army
• Documentary

[E7018LowHydrogen]

26:50 The story about the solider in Vietnam trying to capture an elephant was facinating, as he was trying to get his war deeds, that they said an elephant was not a horse was rather humorous, great stories!

[SmithsonianVideos]

@E7018LowHydrogen We uploaded a version of this video with better audio quality. We will soon delete this version. I am going to copy your comment to the new version. Hope you don't mind.

[chimak3d]

Indian retard Indian. unbelievable. 

[nixie1100]

True, more than that , wounded Knee , My unit was called in to assist, specific units to cover the gov. We refused upon the reasons that, we were, never to attck our home , already to late, I hope tradition is never forgotten. Do, the casinos all the other mess help

ederal troops, although

with muteny, we refused, whites blacks, orientals, many were fresh out of Nam. All had enough

[nixie1100]

Thanks, have to kleen my blood off

,hit my hand with a hammer, putting on roof hahahahahaah aint notin but ting, apriciate your input . Thank you I enjoyed and respected your chief speaking all he said was true , a wise man he was and wise men taught him.



[nixie1100]

Ill be happy to tell you my grandoughters who live on the rez. Believe all should have joined our spirits and given more faith in peoples as a whole. That is true dittie moa or be dingy dou

[nixie1100]

perfect, exellent, and still what is the issue,what issue do you represent, yourself or great EGO. Pachie Goyo is my hero; Giviee wee hee Bea a we hee, Who cares about how big the knife is.

[nixie1100]

Elephants carry great load and subject to our love and kindness. I prefer to be subjected to the love and by and direction from family as applies. ahowever I prefer to be alone wolf.

[nixie1100]

Who is this fool to represet what, Ignorace.Spoken by Nix

[E7018LowHydrogen]

@SmithsonianVideos Not at all...