The poverty he sees on many reservations reminds him of what he saw in the third world during his 24 years of military service… ultimately they replaced their concern with action
Laura mentioned the Navajo Code Talkers in World War II and that recognition for their help in winning the war was a long time coming. Since their recognition, public interest in these code talker-heroes has been high. But did you know that Veterans from many different tribes served as code talkers? According to the Code Talkers [...]
Veteran: David was drafted right after high school into the Marine Corps. He also belonged to the elite group of US Marine Corps World War II Navajo Code Talkers.
Veteran: Calvin recalled receiving “four greetings” from the President of the United States (in the form of military draft letters). It was 1944 and he remembered the bus stopped right in the middle of the highway to gather the new recruits.
Veterans… “I took a vow, a sacred vow.” Protecting family and community is inherit among Native Americans and “respect for relationships is paramount.”
One American Indian veteran “enlisted because in 1827 his tribe had signed a ‘peace and friendship’ treaty with the U.S. government and promised to come to the military assistance of the U.S. should it ever be needed. Despite the fact that the U.S. had broken every promise made to his people, his tribe was still honoring the treaty they signed.”
North Dakota tribes have been affected by ongoing flooding since February of this year. On May 10, President Obama declared the North Dakota flooding a major disaster, which opened up Federal funding to state and local governments for emergency work and repair or replacement of facilities in nearly 40 localities, including the Spirit Lake Nation, [...]
American Indians living on reservations have the lowest life expectancy of any ethnic group in the United States. High rates of disease, accidents, inadequate health care and lack of access to affordable nutritious food are some of the reasons life expectancy on reservations lags behind the general US population. However, consistent with general trends for [...]
Kelly talked about Native elders being an important part of American Indian communities. Indeed, elders are revered and respected throughout Native cultures. The communities show this respect in many ways… listening, seeking their wisdom, serving them first at meals, looking to them for prayers, honoring them as Veterans, making them a central part of family [...]
