Native Forever

Russell Means stood at the front lines of a movement that refused to be ignored.
An Oglala Lakota leader and a founding member of the American Indian Movement, he became one of the most visible voices for Native sovereignty and treaty rights in the United States. At a time when Native communities were facing deep injustice, poverty, and erasure, Means helped bring those realities into the national spotlight.
In 1973, he played a leading role in the Wounded Knee Occupation — a 71-day standoff that drew global attention to broken treaties and the treatment of Native nations. That moment was not just protest. It was a declaration that Native people would stand, speak, and defend their rights on their own land.
Beyond activism, he carried his voice into film and media, appearing in works like The Last of the Mohicans and later lending his voice to projects that reached new generations. But even in those spaces, he remained rooted in the same purpose — representation, truth, and visibility.
Russell Means was not a quiet figure.
He was direct. He was unapologetic.
And he challenged systems that had long gone unquestioned.
For many Native people, he represents a time when silence was broken —
when the fight for sovereignty was brought back into the open,
and when the world was forced to listen.
His legacy is not just history.
It is a reminder that the struggle for Native rights, identity, and self-determination continues.

Update: We want to correct an error in our original post.
We previously referred to "the last Navajo Code Talker" — and that framing was wrong. We apologize for the mistake and want to set the record straight.

Two Code Talkers are still with us today: Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay. Their lives are a living testament to everything we wrote below, and they deserve to be named and honored accurately.

The Navajo Code Talkers represent one of the most remarkable chapters in military history — and their story is still alive through the men who served.

During World War II, Navajo Code Talkers used their native language to transmit military communications in a code that enemy forces never broke. They participated in every Marine assault in the Pacific from 1942 to 1945 — Guadalcanal, Tarawa, Peleliu, and Iwo Jima — sending thousands of messages without a single error. Their courage, intelligence, and dedication became a source of pride for Native communities and the nation alike.

For many years their contributions remained classified and unknown to the public. Yet their service reflected something far greater than military achievement. At a time when many Native people faced intense pressure to abandon their languages and cultures, the Navajo language became one of the most powerful tools in the entire war effort.

Today we honor Peter MacDonald and Thomas H. Begay — the two surviving Code Talkers — and remember all those who served beside them. Their story reminds us that language is power, culture is strength, and the wisdom carried by Indigenous communities continues to shape history.

“History isn’t meant to be hidden. It’s meant to be learned.” 🇺🇸

🪶 Specialist Moses Brave Heart, a member of the South Dakota Army National Guard, has secured a religious accommodation from the U.S. Army. As an Oglala Sioux soldier, he can now maintain long hair and wear traditional Sioux head decorations, including an eagle feather, in official Army portraits while following the Army's female grooming standards. Brave Heart started growing his hair after the approval was granted in 2023.

🪖 This accommodation is particularly significant for Native American soldiers who wish to serve in the military without sacrificing their cultural identity. For generations, Native servicemen and women have had to choose between their heritage and their uniform. Long hair is sacred in many Indigenous cultures. The eagle feather is not a decoration. It is an honor earned through courage and service.

💪 Brave Heart's quiet determination to stand up for his rights showcases the growing respect for Indigenous traditions. His approval opens the door for other soldiers to seek similar accommodations. The military has a long history of Indigenous service, from the Navajo Code Talkers to the thousands of Native soldiers who have fought in every American war. Now, they can serve without hiding who they are.

❤️ Ultimately, this decision advances true inclusion and acknowledges the importance of cultural heritage. It celebrates serving one's country while staying true to oneself. A soldier with an eagle feather in his portrait. Long hair flowing beneath his dress uniform. That is not just an accommodation. That is a victory for every Native person who ever had to choose.

When Wes Studi Spoke Cherokee On The Oscar Stage, It Was Bigger Than Hollywood

When Wes Studi stood on the Oscar stage and spoke in Cherokee, millions of people witnessed something far deeper than an award ceremony.

They witnessed survival.

For generations, Indigenous languages were suppressed, discouraged, and nearly erased. Many Native children were punished for speaking the languages of their parents and grandparents.

But that night, a Cherokee man stood before the world and spoke his language with pride.

On one of the biggest stages on Earth.

In front of Hollywood.

In front of history.

That moment carried more than words.

It carried memory.

It carried identity.

It carried the voices of ancestors who refused to disappear.

Wes Studi has spent decades breaking barriers for Indigenous actors, bringing dignity, strength, and truth to Native characters on screen. But that night became something even larger than a celebration of his career.

It became a reminder that Native languages are still alive.

Still powerful.

Still sacred.

Every Indigenous language spoken today is proof of resilience.

Every word carries a people’s history.

And every generation that keeps those words alive helps make sure the culture lives on.

Wes Studi did not just accept an honor that night.

He honored everyone who came before him.

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A thousand years before modern boats crossed the waters of Lake Waccamaw, Native craftsmen were building vessels that could carry people, goods, and knowledge across the region.

Archaeologists recently recovered a remarkable 28-foot dugout canoe from Lake Waccamaw in North Carolina, a discovery believed to be connected to the ancestors of today's Waccamaw Siouan Tribe. Estimated to be around 1,000 years old, the canoe offers a rare look at the skill, engineering, and craftsmanship of Indigenous peoples long before European contact.

Carved from a single massive tree trunk, the vessel demonstrates an impressive understanding of woodworking, transportation, and life on the waterways that connected Native communities throughout the Southeast.

Because the canoe remained preserved beneath the lake's waters for centuries, experts have been able to study details that are rarely found in artifacts of this age. The discovery is helping researchers learn more about how Native peoples traveled, traded, fished, and interacted with neighboring communities.

For the Waccamaw Siouan people, the canoe is more than an archaeological find. It is a connection to ancestors whose knowledge, innovation, and traditions helped shape the region for generations.

Discoveries like this remind us that Native history is not buried in the past. It continues to emerge, teaching us new lessons about the ingenuity and achievements of the first peoples of North America.

He was not just a soldier.
He was a warrior whose courage crossed three wars.

Pascal Cleatus Poolaw Sr., a Kiowa Native American from Oklahoma, became known as the most decorated Native American soldier in U.S. history. He served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War — carrying not only the weight of a uniform, but the strength of generations before him.

Over his military career, Poolaw earned 42 medals and citations, including four Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, and three Purple Hearts. Each Purple Heart came from a different war, a painful reminder of how much he gave and how many times he returned to serve again.

But his story is more than a list of medals.

In Vietnam, Poolaw was killed while trying to save a wounded soldier. Even in his final moments, he chose courage over safety, duty over fear, and another life over his own.

For Native Americans, military service has often carried a complicated history. Native people served a nation that had broken treaties, taken land, and tried to erase their cultures. Yet men like Pascal Poolaw still stood with honor — not because history was fair, but because courage was part of who they were.

His legacy is not only American history.
It is Native history.
It is Kiowa history.
It is the story of a warrior who gave everything and deserves to be remembered by name.

Pascal Cleatus Poolaw Sr.
42 medals and citations.
Three wars.
One unforgettable legacy.

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