The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center is hosting “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces.” The Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit is in collaboration with the National Museum of the American Indian honoring Native American Veterans.  

The traveling exhibit “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces” highlights 250 years of Native American military participation throughout history. From the American Revolution, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, Desert Storm through present day, the exhibit recognizes service men and women and individual accounts of their involvement in the armed forces.  

This powerful exhibit features Native American veteran stories, photographs and military objects from Colorado and Northern New Mexico, featuring a Wall of Honor displaying their photographs.  

There is a special recognition of Native women veterans, displaying three 

traditional jingle dresses worn by the first all-Native American women’s Color Guard, these service members belong to the Native American Women Warrior (NAWW) which honors and supports Native women veterans. NAWW was founded in 2010 to recognize Native American women veterans who are or have served the United States armed forces. 

Opening ceremonies were held Saturday, June 21 at the Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center. This included a blessing by Hanley Frost, an Honor Song by Tyson Thompson and Joseph Howell and the presentation of the Colors by the Southern Ute Veterans Association, the Jicarilla Apache Veterans Group and the Ojo Encino Veterans Association. Colorado Proclamation HJR 25-1019, which was passed by the Colorado State Legislature, was read by State Representative Matthew Martinez. A delicious meal of posole, green chile stew and biscochitos was served. The program also included a dance by the Dineh Tah’ Navajo Cultural Program, a tree planting, and a lecture “The Native New Deal, Native Involvement in World War II and the Navajo Code Talkers.” 

The exhibit at Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center is the only scheduled Colorado location for the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit and may be viewed through Sunday, Aug. 3. Normal admission fee is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and free to kids under 18. The fee will be waived for all Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribal members. Please let the front desk know by kindly presenting your tribal identification card. Donations are always accepted, and there’s a gift shop on site as well.  

While this Smithsonian exhibit will travel to Wilkerson, Ariz, then to California and other states, the Fort Garland exhibit exclusively includes Southern Ute and Northern New Mexico veteran photographs, military objects and stories.  

For further information about this exhibit please visit the link below, please note this link will list all Smithsonian traveling exhibits, please input “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces.”