Tribes call on Pentagon to restore websites honoring Native American military service
Inland Northwest tribes joined Indigenous groups across the country in asking the Defense Department to reinstate web pages highlighting Native American war heroes and veterans that were recently removed as part of the federal government’s purge on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“It is not any kind of race-based political statement to recognize the valor and achievements of Native American servicemen and servicewomen,” Jarred-Michael Erickson, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, said in statement published Tuesday. “All soldiers should receive the honor they have earned. The patriotic service of our Native veterans should never be forgotten, and the recognition of them should be restored immediately.”
National news outlets reported this week that web pages and articles about the Navajo Code Talkers are missing from Army websites. Another page was removed on Ira Hayes, an Akimel O’odham man who was one of the Marines raising the American flag in the famous photo from the Battle of Iwo Jima. Navajo Code Talkers played a critical role supporting the Allies during World War II using the Navajo language to communicate over radio so that enemy spies could not decipher their messages.
After public outcry, the Defense Department said it will restore some of the web pages on the Code Talkers, but defended the broader takedown.
“As Secretary (Pete) Hegseth has said, DEI is dead at the Defense Department,” Pentagon Press Secretary John Ullyot said in statement. “Discriminatory Equity Ideology is a form of Woke cultural Marxism that has no place in our military. It Divides the force, Erodes unit cohesion and Interferes with the services’ core warfighting mission. We are pleased by the rapid compliance across the Department with the directive removing DEI content from all platforms.”
The Pentagon also said it would restore pages on Jackie Robinson and Japanese Americans who served in World War II. However, thousands of other pages have been removed about women, Native Americans and other minority groups, the Associated Press reported. A page about Civil War nurses was another example reported by Axios.
Native Americans serve in the military at rates five times the national average, according to a proclamation President Donald Trump signed on National Native American Heritage Month in 2018. The proclamation was removed from the White House website, Axios reported. It remains preserved on the National Archives’ Trump White House website.
“While tribal nations are sovereign governments, many tribal members have chosen to serve honorably as soldiers in the American armed forces,” Erickson said. “Like all veterans, many suffered grievous injury, or gave the full sacrifice of their lives in service of American values such as freedom and democracy.”
Coeur d’Alene Tribe Chief James Allan said in statement he is alarmed and disappointed by the removed records.
“This decision erases the valuable contributions and sacrifices made by Native American service members who have served this country with honor and dedication,” Allan said. “Native Americans are not a mere part of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives; we are a fundamental part of this nation’s history and identity. Our people have fought, bled, and died for the freedoms that many take for granted, and to erase this history is a disservice to both our past and our future. I strongly rebuke this move and call for the immediate reinstatement of these crucial stories that reflect the true diversity and courage of our country’s military history.”
Curt Holmes, vice chair of the Kalispel Tribal Council, called it “disheartening,” especially because Native Americans serve in the military at a higher rate than other ethnic groups.
“During World War I, our entire Kalispel Tribe numbered less than 175 members, yet many of our young men took the war very seriously,” Holmes said in a statement. “Although none of them were drafted, many of them volunteered to serve anyway. Of those, 33 percent gave their lives for this great country and didn’t return home. And without the Navajo Code Talkers’ involvement in WWII, the war could have had very different results. Theirs was the only code that couldn’t be broken. The Kalispel Tribe salutes all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and we don’t want any of that to be erased from history.”