Native Americans beat the drum for fallen veterans

By Wendy Thompson, Staff Writer

More than 100 people turned out to honor Native American ancestors, their descendants and all veterans at the unveiling of the U.S. Native Warrior exhibit.

Native American drummers, speakers in Native American regalia, paratroopers from the Boots-N-Chutes All Airborne Association, tribal elders and dignitaries honored fallen Native American veteran comrades, Aug. 23.

A full-course dinner and presentations by those involved preceded the first public showing of the exhibition spearheaded by Greg Nevarez and Joe and Margie Talaugon.

The U.S. Native Warrior exhibit features 30 panels honoring Native Americans, including the Chumash, who served our country in war, and lost their lives. It was held at the Royal Scandinavian Inn in Solvang.

“The U.S. Native Warrior Project’s mission is to honor not only these individuals but the native nations that supported them. The project hopes to unify all native nations in the pride and integrity that was displayed by these first American heroes,” said Nevarez, project coordinator of the exhibit.

The exhibit consists of 30 panels measuring two and half by three feet, created by graphic artist Robert Corbi, a Chumash descendant, and a 10-minute documentary video.

Chumash Tribal Elder Adelina Alva Padilla blessed John Kennedy, a member of the Boots-N-Chutes All Airborne Association, as well as all members of the unit prior to the color guard salute. Seven members of the Boots-N-Chutes All Airborne Paratroopers Association headquartered in Lompoc performed the honor. Boots-N-Chutes has about 50 members from Lompoc, Santa Maria, and Guadalupe.

Three Native Americans, called “The Soldier Creek Drummers,” performed a drum song with the Samala Singers, a local female trio, daughters of Pete Crowheart Zavalla, one of the drummers.

“The Northern Cheyenne gave us this song,” said the drummers before beginning.

The Soldier Creek Drummers are twins Mike and Matthew Zepeda of San Luis Obispo and Grover Beach, respectively, and Zavalla, of Santa Ynez. Before they began, they scattered a pinch of tobacco to each of the four directions of the compass, starting in the east, “where life begins with the sun rising,” said Zepeda.

While playing, the trio left an open chair for the spirit of the late Randy Sevedge. “Randy Sevedge, one of the original drummers, taught us our songs. He passed those songs to us,” said Zepeda.

Padilla opened the ceremony for the unveiling of the U.S. Native Warrior exhibit with a spiritual dedication: “Thank you Grandfather, for those that gave their lives, so we could be free - free in voice, mind and spirit,” she said before the assembly.

Emcee John Morano said that the Native Warrior project was inspired by a similar project, the Latino Warrior, Nevarez’s first project. Morano spoke of the sacrifice that the Native Americans had made for America.

Joe Alaguon of Guadalupe, who with his wife, Margie, co-founded the project with Nevarez, spoke to the group.

“I am going to speak from my heart, and I might break down,” he said.

“It’s very emotional to see my friends, my people, to come together, to honor our veterans, our ancestors, ourselves, our women and our children, in respect to them, as fellow human beings. They fought for our freedom, our land - the land that we love, Mother Earth. Before I started this, my friend Ernie told me, ‘plant a seed and it will grow.’ I ask you to open your hearts up - look at those veterans who sacrificed their lives, remember our warriors, our women warriors. We don’t need to go back to the past - move forward, learn more from our culture, songs and traditions. I ask that you go out and contribute in some way. Plant a seed. Across this nation, across this world, it has to begin in the heart,” he said.

One panel is dedicated to the estimated 95,500 Native Americans who have served since World War II, with a total of 1,119 lives lost.

The exhibit primarily honors World War II veterans, and lists the numbers of those that have served and died in each war.

According to the exhibit, during World War II 25,000 Native Americans served; 42,000 served in the Vietnam War, and 12,000 have served in Iraq.

One panel honors Pfc. Lori Piestewa, reportedly the first woman killed in the Iraqi War, as the first female Native American soldier ever killed in war. Piestewa is the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps soldier killed during the same 2003 Iraqi army attack in which 19-year-old Jessica Lynch was injured.

Lynch later was rescued and became a national celebrity when her story became the basis of a television docudrama, “Saving Jessica Lynch.”

According to the exhibit, Piestewa was honored posthumously with a Purple Heart and a Prisoner of War Medal.

During World War II, 25,000 Native Americans served, with 550 killed; in the Korean War, 12,500 served, and 104 were killed. In Vietnam, 42,000 served, with 226 killed, according to the exhibit.

To date, 12,000 Native Americans have served in Iraq, of whom 39 have given their lives, including Piestewa.

“We tried to tell the story on each one of these panels,” said Nevarez. “There are seven panels honoring Medal of Honor recipients, and another on the code-talkers.

“We also have panels of those who served in Vietnam and Iraq, which include the stories of local tribe members from the Chumash village,” he said.

Copyright © 2008 Santa Ynez Valley Journal

Posted on September 4th, 2008 by hunwut
Filed under: Exhibit, News