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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2003

There are more than 12,000 American Indians, Alaska Natives and Canadian Aboriginals serving in the U.S. military, according to data published in the Wall Street Journal.

Citing data from the Immigration Policy Center and Defense Department, the paper reported 12,860 members of tribal nations from U.S. and Canada, 274 Eskimos and 291 Aleuts. The overwhelming majority were American citizens.

The individual service breakdown was as follows:

ARMY
US/Canadian Indian tribes - 2,985
Eskimo - 98
Aleut - 79

NAVY
US/Canadian Indian tribes - 7,068
Eskimo - 116
Aleut - 159

USMC
US/Canadian Indian tribes - 1,111
Eskimo - 30
Aleut - 31

USAF
US/Canadian Indian tribes - 1,696
Eskimo - 30
Aleut - 22

The numbers vary tribe by tribe. These are some that have been reported, according to news accounts and tribes:

Hopi Tribe, Arizona - 46, including Lori Piestewa, a mother of two considered missing in action
Turtle Mountain Ojibwe Tribe, North Dakota - 44 tribal and family members
Tohono O'odham Nation, Arizona - 29 deployed or soon to be
Blackfeet Nation, Montana - 95
Chippewa Cree Tribe, Montana - 30
Navajo Nation - More than 1,000

Get the Story:
Citizenship and Ethnicity In the U.S. Armed Forces (Wall Street Journal 4/1)
War brings many impacts on Navajos (The Arizona Republic 4/2)

Related Stories:
Letters for Lori Piestewa (4/2)
Piestewa family urged not to give up hope (3/31)
Vigil held in Ariz. for missing Hopi soldier (3/27)
Hopi Tribe prays for return of missing soldier (3/26)
Piestewa Family Letter: Thank you for prayers (3/26)