The MAMF November 2025 Facebook Banner Ceilon Aspensen, November 1, 2025December 29, 2025 November is National Native American Heritage month. This month’s Museum of the American Military Family (MAMF) banner honors our indigenous military service members. Most Americans are not aware that indigenous people, both Native Americans and Pacific Islanders, make up the highest percentage of our military per capita. According to the National Indian Council on Aging, Inc.: “American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average and have served with distinction in every major conflict for over 200 years. Considering the population of the U.S. is approximately 1.4 percent Native and the military is 1.7 percent Native (not including those that did not disclose their identity), Native people have the highest per-capita involvement of any population to serve in the U.S. military. They also have a higher concentration of women servicemembers than all other groups. Nearly 20 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives servicemembers were women, while 15.6 percent of all other servicemembers were women.” 1 Many of us think of ourselves as patriotic, but by those numbers alone indigenous people are by far the most patriotic among us. Most people have heard of the Code Talkers, and they are definitely seen as special in military service. However, there is so much to indigenous service in the military than just that. They literally serve in every capacity available to people serving in the military. They do every job there is. They also come from every part of our great nation, from Alaska to Hawaii, the Pacific northwest to the southwest, New England to Florida, and everywhere in between. They are every bit as American as the rest of us, and proud to serve. So, this month let’s celebrate our fellow Americans, indigenous Americans, for serving our country so faithfully and well in such great numbers. Thank you for your service! 1“American Indian Veterans Have Highest Record of Military Service,” National Indian Council on Aging, Inc., https://www.nicoa.org/american-indian-veterans-have-highest-record-of-military-service/ Please follow and like us: Art Cultural Studies Diversity Equity & Inclusion Military Brat Culture Writing