More than 12,000 Natives in military

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Last Updated: 22 years

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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