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- By Levi Rickert
On this Veterans Day, communities across Indian Country are honoring the thousands of Native American and Alaska Native men and women who have served—and continue to serve—in the U.S. Armed Forces at rates higher than any other racial or ethnic group.
According to the U.S. Department of Defense, about 19% of Native Americans have served in the military, compared with about 14% of all other ethnic groups. Native people have served with distinction in every major U.S. conflict since the Revolutionary War, often motivated by deep cultural values of service, community, and protection of their homelands.
Today, there are more than 150,000 Native American veterans living in the United States, representing 574 federally recognized tribes. Their contributions span generations—from the famed Code Talkers of World Wars I and II, who used Indigenous languages to develop unbreakable codes, to contemporary Native service members deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and beyond.
During World War II alone, 44,000 Native Americans served, including nearly 400 Navajo Code Talkers whose encrypted messages proved vital to the Allied victory in the Pacific. In Vietnam, an estimated 42,000 Native people served—many at a time when they were not yet recognized as U.S. citizens in every state.
For many, military service is seen as an extension of warrior traditions that predate the United States itself. “Serving isn’t just about patriotism,” said a veteran at a recent powwow in Oklahoma. “It’s about honoring our ancestors and protecting the land they fought for long before there was a flag.”
Despite their high enlistment rates, Native veterans have historically faced barriers to accessing VA health care, housing assistance, and benefits. Recent years have seen efforts to close those gaps. The Native American Veterans Memorial, dedicated in 2020 on the grounds of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., stands as a national tribute to their service and sacrifice.
Across tribal nations today, Veterans Day is marked not only with parades and ceremonies, but also with songs, dances, and prayers that recognize Native veterans as protectors of both their people and the United States.
As drums sound across Indian Country, the message is clear: Native Americans’ service runs deep—rooted in identity, culture, and an enduring commitment to defend the land they call home.
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