native americans

Nov 7, 2022

Today in military history: Battle of Tippecanoe

On Nov. 7, 1811, Shawnee spiritual leader Tenskwatawa was defeated at the Battle of Tippecanoe. At the time, the U.S….

Nov 7, 2022

Sep 24, 2022

This Crow GI became the last Indian War Chief during World War II

Few American veterans will ever officially earn both the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the title of Crow War Chief. Joe Medicine Crow might be the only one. His other awards include the Bronze Star and the French Légion d’Honneur. Ho…

Sep 24, 2022

Aug 30, 2023

Today in military history: Geronimo surrenders

On Sep. 4, 1886, Apache chief and last holdout of the American Indian Wars, Geronimo, surrendered to the U.S. Army.

Aug 30, 2023

Jul 2, 2022

This is the biggest victory Native Americans scored against the colonials

The fight against westward expansion of the United States did not go well for the native tribes of the Americas. But it didn’t start out that way. In the early years of the United States, one American Indian uprising would give the tribes of the ne…

Jul 2, 2022

Apr 12, 2023

The United States worst military defeat came at the hands of native tribes

In the earliest days of the American republic, the United States military was as disorganized as the rest of the…

Apr 12, 2023

Nov 25, 2021

How the true story of Thanksgiving ended in a war

In the US, Thanksgiving is a time for family, parades, lots of

Nov 25, 2021

Nov 25, 2021

This is why George Washington viewed Thanksgiving as a warrior’s holiday

The founding father at the center of our Nation’s creation myth is also responsible for one of our most cherished…

Nov 25, 2021

BYMiguel Ortiz

Nov 18, 2022

America’s first Code Talkers were Choctaw soldiers during WWI

During WWII, American Indian code talkers used their native languages to communicate in secret on the battlefield. At least 15…

BYMiguel Ortiz

Nov 18, 2022

Oct 24, 2022

How American Indians managed to kill off half of the US Army in a single battle

In 1791, the United States was still a very young country and its army was just as young. Just three…

Oct 24, 2022

Jul 20, 2021

This is how the bow evolved throughout the history of warfare

The bow often takes center stage in period pieces any time before the invention of gun powder. From modern portrayals…

Jul 20, 2021

Oct 6, 2022

The 5 Native American tribes most feared by the US Army

Though they’re often overlooked by military historians – not Native historians, mind you – the Plains Wars of the post-Civil War era saw some of the most brutal fighting between the American government and the native tribes fighting for their w…

Oct 6, 2022

Mar 31, 2021

Why Red Cloud was the only American Indian to win a war against the US

The famous Chief of the Oglala Lakota, Red Cloud, led the only successful native war against the United States. At…

Mar 31, 2021

Feb 28, 2021

Why Native American nations declared war on Germany twice

After members of the Blackfeet Nation overwhelmed an Army recruiting office in 1941, those waiting in line cried, “since when has it been necessary for Blackfeet to draw lots to fight?“ Hitler surely didn’t realize the fight he…

Feb 28, 2021

BYJacqlyn Cope

Dec 16, 2021

The first Native American woman to die in combat was also the first female military death of the Iraq War

American women risk their lives for their country every day. In fact, women have served alongside men in combat long before they were legally “allowed.” That being said, women didn’t have the option of joining the military in fields outside of nu…

BYJacqlyn Cope

Dec 16, 2021

Apr 29, 2020

How Native Americans ended up fighting for the Confederacy

Even after Confederate commander Robert E. Lee surrendered in Appomattox Court House, Virginia, on April 9, 1865, one Confederate army refused to acknowledge defeat and for months stubbornly fought on. It was led not by one of the wealthy whit…

Apr 29, 2020

Apr 29, 2020

A lame cow sparked a war that ended Native life on the plains

In the last part of the 19th Century, the U.S. Army’s chief enemy was the scores of Native American tribes who still roamed America’s Great Plains and dominated the American Southwest, among other places. As sporadic attacks against settlers in th…