Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T L Y M O N T A N A M A G A Z I N E • F A L L 2 0 2 0 58 While some of Montana's Indian veterans have been individually honored, the contributions of many others remain unrecognized. The Warrior Spirit Project Consortium, created in 2019, aims to change that. Project director Dr. Herman Viola—author, edu- cator, and a curator emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution—maintains that in classrooms across the nation, there are "stark and critical deficien- cies" in understanding Native American culture. Few realize that Native Americans—despite broken treaties, cultural suppression, and discrimination— have served this country in every conflict including the American Revolution. In fact, according to NMAI, more American Indians per capita have served in the mil- itary than any other ethnic group. There are currently more than 3,000 Native American veterans living in Montana. When asked why they would serve a country that has historically treated them poorly, Indian veterans invariably answer that they are a warrior people and have a sacred obligation to defend their families and homeland. According to the Naval Historical Center, the warrior tradition is one key factor. Surviving the atrocities of war and the spiritual disharmony it causes leads to a more intimate understanding of life. Montana's Indian A JOURNEY THAT BEGAN IN 1994 WILL COME TO FRUITION WITH THE UNVEILING OF "THE WARRIORS' CIRCLE OF HONOR" on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) in Washington, D.C., on Veterans Day, 2020. Congress mandated the memori- al under the Native American Veterans' Memorial Establishment Act. The act has proven to be a gateway to better understanding, appreciation, and recognition of the impressive service and sacrifice of Native Americans in the military. The Warrior Spirit Project is designed to complement the memorial by collecting Native veterans' individual stories. These stories are beginning to emerge both nationally and here at home in Montana. W a r r i o r S p i r i t C e l e b r a t i n g N a t i v e A m e r i c a n V e t e r a n s by ELLEN BAUMLER

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