Smithsonian Indian Veterans exhibit opens at Peoples’ Center

By B.L. Azure

Photos of Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreille veterans were on display along side of the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian veterans' exhibit at the Peoples Center. (B.L. Azure photo)

PABLO — They have always answered their nation’s call to arms at a per capita rate higher than any ethnic and racial group in America. They are American Indians and their contributions to the American military is the subject of a Smithsonian Institute Museum of the American Indian touring exhibit that had its Montana Indian reservation debut last Wednesday at the Peoples Center.

The Smithsonian exhibit will be in Montana for a year with stops at each of the seven Indian reservations as well as some municipalities. The Flathead Reservation is the first stop in its yearlong stay in Big Sky Country, said Richard Sims, director of the Montana Historical Society. The exhibit highlights the contribution of American Indian “Code Talkers” who used their native tribal languages to transmit and receive messages in American wars, in particular during World War II.

Sims said the focus of the exhibit is the Code Talkers but in reality it honors all Indian veterans. And there were quite a few of them on hand for the opening festivities. In fact veterans were the majority of the sparse crowd.

CSKT Council Chairman E.T. "Bud" Moran gave the keynote address at the "Native Words, Native Warriors" Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian exhibit at the Peoples Center. (B.L. Azure photo)

Wednesday’s exhibit opened with a flag song by Yamncut Drum followed by the posting of colors by the Veterans Warrior Society and Mission Valley Honor Guard then a welcoming by Lucy Vanderburg, manager of the Peoples Center.

Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Council Chairman E.T. “Bud” Moran, a U.S. Marine veteran, delivered the keynote address.

“It’s a privilege and an honor to be the first tribe to show the Native American warrior exhibit,” Moran said. He reminded attendees that Indians have proudly served in the American military in per capita numbers that exceed all other ethnic groups. Moran said he learned many things in the military that “are very precious to me.”

Moran said that Louis “Chuck” Charlo, who raised the first American flag on Iwo Jima in late February 1945, was a hero, role model and the reason “I chose to serve in the military.” The heroic act lifted the spirits of the Marines on Iwo Jima who suffered a lot in the carnage that occurred on the volcanic island steppingstone on the way to Japan. Charlo was felled by a sniper’s bullet on March 2, 1945.

Moran said that Charlo was one of 686 members of the tribal confederacy who have lost their lives in military skirmishes since 1877.

“Native Americans have a passion to serve in the military,” Moran said. “Today there are more than 100 tribal members serving in the military throughout the world. Sacrifices are made by all those who serve. They carry on the time honored warrior tradition of strength, honor, pride, devotion and wisdom. Thanks to all veterans. Thanks to all the warriors. Thank you.”

Veteran Doreena Plant told folks at the Peoples Center about how she learned to respect veterans at an early age. (B.L. Azure photo)

Doreena Plant, military veteran and member of the Mission Valley Honor Guard, said her mother taught her respect for veterans at a young age. “My mom would always stop and thank a vet whenever she saw one,” Plant said, adding that Indians have always served honorably despite being non-citizens of America during World War I and despite the historically harsh political relationship tribal nations and their citizens encountered with the federal government.

Vietnam veteran Tony Incashola, whose brother Jean Incashola was killed in Vietnam, said that when he looks at the United States flag and the tribal eagle staff he sees the faces of those who have served and sacrificed.

“In the eagle staff I see our parents, our grand parents who sacrificed for us. I remember the fear; I remember the cold; I remember the sacrifices. I remember the suffering of those before us,” Incashola said. “In the red, white and blue I see the faces of all of our people, our relatives; I see the people I served with. I see veterans when I look at the flag. I tell people to respect the flag because it is not just a flag. It’s about people. It’s about lives...”

Vietnam veterans Wilbert Michel, Charlie Morigeau and Roger Shourds had a "ham and lima beans C-ration" flashback while finger-fooding it at the Peoples' Center. (B.L. Azure photo)

Incashola said he was able to endure the Vietnam War including the lose of his brother because of his upbringing on the Flathead Reservation. It provided salve to the wounded soul. “I thought about my home, my grandparents,” he said. “That’s how I was able to go on.”

Incashola told folks at the opening ceremonies learn what war really is and to think of those who gave a part of their lives and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for America.

Incashola said there is a sad irony of the Code Talker exhibit. The tribal people had long endured the Western engine of assimilation by maintaining - often secretly - their culture and language. The latter is the key to the salvation of tribal cultures and during World War II it often was the salvation of many American military personnel lives.

“Our language is a gift from the Creator. We are at a point where we are losing our language, the foundation of who we are,” Incashola said. “I think of these Code Talkers who used their language to help this country to victory. I thank all those who made this possible. It is an honor to be here and remember those who came before us.”

For more information on the exhibit, contact the Peoples Center at 675-0160.