Tribes Honor Native Warriors on Veterans Day, Carrying On a Proud Tradition of Service
From North Carolina to Oklahoma to Arizona, tribes and Native communities honored veterans this week, celebrating a people who serve at one of the highest rates in America.
By JOE REDHAWKNative America · Nov 11, 4:15 PM
ARIZONA — From Pembroke, North Carolina, to the Choctaw capitol grounds in Oklahoma, tribal nations set aside time this week to thank the men and women who have worn the uniform of the United States. The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina scheduled its Veterans Day ceremony for Tuesday afternoon at the tribe's housing complex in Pembroke, inviting the public to "recognize and honor the courage, sacrifice, and service of our Veterans." Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rocky Sampson was announced as guest speaker. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma set its own ceremony for Wednesday morning on the Tvshka Homma Capitol Grounds in Tuskahoma, with lunch and a drawing for a veterans' hunting trip at the Choctaw Hunting Lodge.
In Phoenix, the Heard Museum planned a full day of Veterans Day programming, including an art market featuring veteran artists, a screening of the film Native Words, Native Warriors, and veteran storytelling. The day was to close with a Sunset Tribute at the museum's American Indian Veterans National Memorial marking the memorial's 14th anniversary, with a keynote by Michael Naranjo of Santa Clara Pueblo, an honor dance by the Pee Posh Bird Singers and Dancers, and a coin ceremony and honor song. Veterans and…