Native Words, Native Warriors

Past and present military warriors honored

By Adrian JawortWhen the “Native Words, Native Warriors” display came to the Crow Indian Reservation in time for the annual Crow Native Days that coincide with the Battle of the Little Bighorn anniversary, tribal secretary Scott Russell was given the task of honoring not only the various tribes and code talkers of the World War II display, but the Crow Nation’s own plethora of veterans and active military personnel.

The display is a National Museum of the American Indian traveling exhibit that will eventually visit all seven Montana Indian reservations throughout the summer and fall.

“What Chairman Black Eagle envisioned was something also geared toward the Crow warriors, and that’s basically what we’ve done here,” Russell said, motioning toward the pictures of hundreds of local Crow tribal members in uniform who adorned the walls.

Crows were asked to put up pictures of their relatives and loved ones in their military uniform and other articles that could be used for displays, and the response was overwhelming.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Glorifying the Warrior, Not the War and Indians in the Military.