Brian Critchfield: Honoring Native American women warriors

The name, “Piestewa,” is well known in the State of Arizona. Piestewa Peak towers over the Valley of the Sun, Piestewa Freeway makes it quick to get from Downtown to North Phoenix, and thousands participate annually in the Piestewa National Native American Games. All of these honor Specialist Lori Piestewa, a member of the US Army’s 507th Maintenance Company and the first Native American woman in US history to be killed in combat. In March 2003, then PFC Piestewa, a proud member of the Hopi Tribe from Northeastern Arizona, was in a convoy traveling through Iraq when it was ambushed. She evaded enemy fire until her Humvee was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade, however, her evasive efforts saved the lives of her fellow soldiers.

Despite the tragedy of her death, PFC Piestewa joins a long, proud history of Native Americans dedicating their lives and careers to the US Armed Forces. In fact, Tribes have the highest per-capita commitment of any ethnic population defending the United States. Today, Native American service in the Armed Forces often evokes memories of the Navajo Code Talkers and iconic soldiers such as Gila River Indian Community Member Ira Hayes, who raised the flag at Iwo Jima. What are often missed are the contributions Native American women have made to protect the freedoms that we enjoy.

These “Women Warriors” have fought for the rights of their people for centuries, often without glory or recognition. Today, over 18,000 Native American women serve in the various branches of the US Armed Forces, assuming many of the military tasks that have traditionally been reserved for men including commanding troops, operating military vehicles and aircraft, and engaging in combat. Their service speaks to a strong family and tribal military tradition that spans across the Vietnam War, World Wars I and II, and even as far back as the Civil War.