During World War II, over 800 Native American women served in the Women’s Army Core, WAVES, and Women Marine Corps Reserve. We are featuring just a few of their stories. By the time of WWII many Native American women began to be allowed to serve in other ways, such as the mechanical and electrical technician, Winifred Dudley. Indigenous women have gone on to serve in all American wars since then.
For the most part the women were not given the recognition they deserved until much later, often not in their lifetime. For example, because their records were classified and archived for over 30 years, the WASPs were left out of WWII history. Not until 1977 did they even get backpay or death insurance when the Jimmy Carter administration enacted legislation making the WASPs part of the Air Force.
This week we feature unusual women – a sharpshooter, an army specialist who received the purple heart, and Native American Women Warriors color guard.
World War II Exceptional Women
Laura Beltz Wright (1909-1996) Eskimo Scout, Sharpshooter
While most women served as nurses during the world wars, some served in unusual positions. One of these was Laura Beltz Wright a sharpshooter who would later be acclaimed as the “best shot in the company.”
Laura was born in Candle, Alaska. She became a member of the World War II Eskimo Scouts, also known as the Tundra Army and the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG). The US government was concerned that the Japanese might attack the Alaskan coastline and so they recruited Alaskan natives to patrol the coastline and provide information on any enemy movements. The Scouts also rescued US pilots that were downed.
The men were skeptical when a woman joined them, but In her training, Laura hit the bullseye 49 out of 50 times. She won their respect. She served in the Scouts’ missions alongside the men from 1942 – 1947. She delivered US mail by dog team, was a midwife, conducted funerals, and was involved in many other community activities. She was chosen “Queen of Fairbanks” in a beauty contest.
Laura married John Allan Hagberg and they operated a gold mine while raising six children. They moved to Fairbanks so their children could attend high school. One of their children went on to become an airline vice president.
John died in 1948. Laura remarried to Dallas A. Wright in 1951. They moved to Anchorage and opened a parka shop. Laura designed and patented Laura Wright Alaska Parkys. Her designs won many awards including Best Costume at the Miss Universe pageant. Among her clients were Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Ricky Nelson, Shirley Jones, and Burl Ives.
Laura died at age 87 in Anchorage on February 22, 1996. It wasn’t until four years later, in 2000, that the Alaska Territorial Guard were granted veteran status. Her family accepted her papers at a special ceremony honoring ATG members in 2017. Her granddaughter, Sheila Ezell said, “I was very, very proud.”
Lori Ann Piestewa (Navajo, 1979-2003) Specialist, US Army
Lori was born in Tuba City, Arizona to a Hopi father and Mexican American mother. She was the youngest of four children. She served in the military from 2001 to 2003 following in the footsteps of ancestors who were in the military. Her grandfather served in WWII in Europe. Her father served in Vietnam, as did 42,000 other Native Americans, 90 percent of them volunteers.
Lori’s parents made sure that their children had opportunities to connect with both of their cultures. As a baby, Lori had received the Hopi name of Köcha-hon-mana or White Bear Girl. She was raised with the Hopi belief in nonviolence and the importance of helping others. She excelled at sports and played Little League Softball. At age 8, her team made it to the championships. One story goes that the day before the championship game she was hit by a ball in the face. Her nose was broken but her parents could not talk her out of playing the game. Her team went on to win. Her brother later recalled, “she couldn’t not play.”
In high school, Lori joined the Junior reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC). Lori married her boyfriend. They had two children but later separated. Lori moved back home. She chose the Army as a career in order to give her children a secure future. On March 30, 2001, she left for basic training at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
She received advanced training in Fort Lee, Virginia and was promoted to private first class. She was then assigned to the 507th Maintenance Company in Fort Bliss, Texas. She did clerical work and took care of supplies. In January 2003, the 507th received word that they were being deployed to Iraq. She said that she was ready to go and was happy knowing that her family was well-taken care of.
On March 23, 2003, the unit was on a convoy carrying supplies. They were traveling in Nasiriyah in southern Iraq. The convoy was ambushed. Their Humvee was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade. Lori and her comrades were taken prisoner. Later, Lori died from her wounds. Her body was thrown in a mass grave. A special forces team recovered it. She was only 23 years old.
Native American women had served in the military since the War for Independence over 250 years ago. Specialist Lori Ann Piestewa was the first female to die in combat overseas and the first to be recorded in US military history. She was awarded the Prisoner of War Medal, the Purple Heart, and was promoted posthumously from private first class to specialist.
A popular trail in Arizona was given the name Piestewa Peak[1] in 2008 to honor Lori and other fallen soldiers. Her oldest brother said, ““My sister is a warrior because she did the right thing, the honorable thing: going to Iraq when she didn’t have to, because she felt it was the ethical and moral thing to do. That’s what being a warrior is about: doing what’s right, even when it’s difficult and means sacrifice.”
Mitchelene BigMan (Crow, born 1965).
At the Denver Powwow, the male color guards reluctantly said the women’s color guard could march, but only if they went to the very back of the color guard procession. On thinking about it, the Native American women accepted. They thought it an honor to be in the procession, and anyway, they would be the last color guards that the audience would see.
Mitchelene BigMan decided it was time to address the needs of the contemporary American military women. She founded the Native American Women Warriors (NAWW), the first recognized all-Native American Women Color Guard in 2010. This organization supports all women veterans but especially Native Americans.
Mitchelene is a veteran herself. She served in the US Army for 22 years. She was part of the Operation Iraqi Freedom (2003-2004). She completed 2 deployments in Iraq, and served in Germany, Korea, and the U.S. Mitchelene comes from a family that has served for generations. Her grandfathers and one grandmother served in the army in WWII.
When she entered the service she was shunned by her male peers. “I caught a lot of flak because I was a female, because I was a minority, and because I was Native American,” she told the authors of Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces. “It was three strikes against me.” She was able to serve in spite of it. This experience came in handy when she formed the Native American Women Warriors. She was used to the prejudice.
Mitchelene became the president of the group. Julia Kelly, former US Army Command Sergeant Major was vice-president, and Sarah Kristine Baker, former Marine Corps Sergeant, the Secretary. They represent the Navajo, Crow, and Northern Cheyenne tribal nations.
The Color Guard participated at the National Tribal Summit at the White House in 2012 and the 30th Annual Gathering of the Nations powwow in 2013. One special honor was their appearance at the Inaugural parade for President Obama’s second term.
In 2014 Mitchelene BigMan was honored along with other “Champions of Change” at the White House. She is dedicated to helping Native American women veterans who have served or are serving. You can find out more about Native American Women Warriors at website:
We have completed a series on Native American Women Warriors. Our stories have covered women who fought for their tribes from the last few centuries. Some women fought for both their tribe and their new country. All were brave and deserve to be honored for defending their homeland. Th
[1] The site was renamed from “Squaw Peak” which made many Native Americans happy since, “squaw” was a derogatory word used to degrade Native women.
