also helps Native veterans find employment and educational opportunities and provides some emergency funds to pay for the cost of necessities such as rent, utilities and food. When the Native American Women War-
riors first led the color guard at powwows in- stead of the men, she says they found resistance from tribal members: “They said we weren’t supposed to march in front.” The women have since marched in their bright red, white or blue jingle dresses decorated with metal cones in color guards at various powwows, parades and even the Native Nations Inaugural Ball at the National Museum of the American Indian in 2017. The jingle dance is a “dance of heal- ing,” BigMan explains. “Every time our ladies go to dance, we are dancing for all veterans who have passed.” Lakota Army Specialist Kella With Horn
from the Two Kettle Band of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in South Dakota looked to the military as an opportunity to grow. “It wasn’t in our world to know what college was,” she says. “I always knew from a kid I was going into the military.” She wanted to join the Ma- rines, but as a single mom with an 18-month- old son, she didn’t feel that branch would take her. So she enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1986 when she was 20 years old and her mother stepped up to help with childcare. Later when she married another soldier and they had an- other child, if they were both called away to duty, her mother would once again help take care of her children. “They will tell you, ‘the Army didn’t issue you a kid, so figure it out,’” she says. “You have to make a decision: is it going to be my career or my kids?” After three years of active service and five
years in the reserve, she attended college using funds from the GI Bill, eventually earning a master’s degree in business administration. With Horn decided to found the Lakota Wom- en Warriors organization in October 2014 to increase recognition for female veterans and to serve as mentors for young Native women. “We want to instill in them that they have op- tions, such as joining the military and entering college,” she says. “I tell them, ‘You can still do this. You just have to have it in your heart.’” Members of the group will now serve as a
color guard in powwows, community gather- ings, parades and other events. When they march, they wear their military jackets or other indications of their military branch with traditional skirts to encourage other women veterans to be proud of their service. She says, “We want to empower who they are.” Sometimes this boost is particularly needed for those who have served in support roles, as
they don’t always get recognition for their ser- vice. Dorothy Button (Seneca Nation) joined the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves in 1989 when she was 28 years old because she “wanted to help people.” However, she never served on a ship. During her 20 years of service, Yeoman Button aided in the recovery efforts in Loui- siana after Hurricane Katrina by paying the bills that kept critical supplies flowing. Fol- lowing the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, she was recalled to active duty to again process paperwork quickly. “I was glad I got to be a part of it,” says Button. “We were holding down the home front while other people were keeping us safe elsewhere.”
CARING FOR VETERANS
Brenda McEwing (Dakota) was a U.S. Army Telecom Operations Chief for 23 years. She served from October 1990 to May 1991
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 21
The color guard of the Native American Women Warriors, founded by Mitchelene BigMan (Apsáalooke [Crow]/Hidatsa, in front), posted and retired the colors (flags) at the 2017 Native Nations Inaugural Ball at the National Museum of the American Indian. BigMan donated two Native American Women Warriors jingle dresses to NMAI's collections.
PHOTO BY NMAI STAFF
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