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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2003

"Reporting for military duty is a scene that's been repeated at a higher rate per capita for Native people than any other ethnic group in the country. Standing up and defending this country is nothing new for them. Native people have fought and died defending their homelands. And they, too, have fought side by side with U.S. military forces for more than two centuries.

They've used their warrior skills in myriad ways: Scouts. Codetalkers. Green Berets. Infantryman. Airborne Rangers. Navy SEALS.

And they've done so with little prodding. Of the 42,000 Natives who fought in Vietnam, 90 percent were volunteers, according to the Department of Defense.

And if military forces invade Iraq, Native men and women will have a presence.

If it seems odd that Native people take pride in joining ranks with a military force they once fought to defend tribal homelands, the trend can be attributed to cultural traditions.

Many tribes hail from warrior societies, groups charged with engaging the enemy in combat and with protecting villages, women and children. Counting coup and fighting enemy tribes helped an individual earn status in the community."

Get the Story:
JODI RAVE LEE: Military service a long-standing tradition for natives (The Lincoln Journal Star 2/16)