To celebrate Native American Heritage Month, the Pentagon has organized ceremonies across the United States, including an Air Force-sponsored intertribal powwow in Florida and a celebration of Native American aircraft nose art in Oregon.
The military has highlighted stories of Native American troops, such as a South Dakota National Guardsman from the Oglala Sioux tribe granted permission to grow his hair and an Air National Guardsman from the District of Columbia with heritage from four different tribes.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks delivered a speech recognizing the achievements of indigenous peoples, starting with the Navajo “Code Talkers” during World War II.
However, critics point out the omission of a darker history involving military violence against Native Americans, including forced relocations, ethnic cleansing, and genocide.
According to Keith Richotte Jr., director of the Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program at the University of Arizona, the acknowledgment of Native veterans does not address the broader context of how Native Americans were historically mistreated by the U.S. military.
Historian Jeffrey Ostler emphasizes that the U.S. Army’s mission was to convert Native lands for white settlers, often leading to genocidal warfare.
The U.S. Army, formed in 1775, has a history of both fighting alongside and against Native Americans.
One example is George Washington’s scorched-earth campaign in 1779 against Six Nations settlements, aiming for their “total ruin” and destruction.
While the Pentagon celebrates Native American service in the military, its historical narrative overlooks the violent conflicts and atrocities committed against Indigenous peoples.
Photo: Trager and Kuhn/Library of Congress
The U.S. Army’s documented “Indian Wars Campaigns” from the 1790s to the 1890s reflect a narrative of conflict and displacement of Native Americans for white settlement, culminating in events like the Wounded Knee Massacre.
On 15 December 1890, bureau police killed Sitting Bull … while trying to arrest him. … On the morning of 29 December, an effort to disarm [a group of Native religious revivalists] led to a shot being fired. It may have been an accidental discharge … but whatever the source, it led immediately to heavy and indiscriminate firing from soldiers and some return fire from the Lakota.
The soldiers deployed artillery despite the presence of many noncombatants. The outcome was devastating, with over two hundred Lakota (possibly up to three hundred), including women and children, killed. On the Army’s side, there were 25 fatalities and 39 wounded, some likely due to friendly fire. Despite an investigation, the Army failed to determine who was responsible. “I firmly believe that it is just and honorable to use any means under God’s heaven to kill Indians,” stated Chivington, who led the troops to attack Black Kettle’s camp at Sand Creek in 1864, resulting in a massacre of hundreds of innocent people. The brutal and indiscriminate violence inflicted by the United States troops, as testified by witnesses, led to the deaths of many women and children, along with acts of barbarity like mutilation and rape. The aftermath of the massacre included taking body parts as souvenirs and making almost an annihilation of the entire tribe. Despite these atrocities, no one was held accountable, and no punishments were given.
The Army’s history of the “Indian Wars” conveniently omits the horrendous acts of violence and forced displacement inflicted on Native Americans. Land that once belonged to Native tribes has diminished by 98.9%, with many tribes losing all recognition of their lands. The military’s attempt to honor Native Americans during Native American Heritage Month falls short, as it fails to acknowledge the full extent of historical injustices and perpetuates outdated stereotypes and cultural disrespect.
While the Pentagon has taken some steps towards acknowledging past wrongs, such as reviewing Medals of Honor given for the Wounded Knee massacre and expressing regret for past atrocities like the shelling of a Lingít village, more needs to be done. A genuine reckoning with the past is necessary to move towards a more just and equitable society for all. “If all we’re left with is just words without meaningful action, then it falls short of the promise of acknowledgments,” he told The Intercept.
“Colonialism thrives by keeping Indigenous peoples invisible,” said Richotte. “As long as this continues, and the few signs of visibility are controlled by colonizers, nothing will change.” Please provide an alternative version.
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