Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah honors military veterans, aims to preserve stories and honors

CEDAR CITY — Several military veterans from the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah were honored for their service Sunday during an event that tribal leaders hope to establish as an ongoing tradition.

"This is just the start to opening up the dialogue on how we can effectively honor and work with our Paiute veterans," said Shelby Chapoose, the cultural resource manager for the tribe.

The event took place at the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah Veterans' Monument in Cedar City, and included representatives from the American Legion Post 74 and Marine Corps League Detachment 1315.

Though few in number, the veterans present stood for a much larger community of tribal service members, Chapoose said. She emphasized that Native Americans maintain a deeply rooted tradition of military service, making up a high percentage of the nation's armed forces.

"In general, overall, Native American people have the highest enlistment rate," she said. "It's very important for tribal communities to acknowledge our veterans and really tell their stories because when it comes to citizenship, we weren't recognized as citizens, but we were also enlisted."

According to federal data, Native Americans serve in the U.S. armed forces at five times the national average. Chapoose, who is the granddaughter of a service member and has a sister serving in the Marine Corps, said military service holds deep importance in her family.

"My grandfather enlisted during peacetime, but he instilled in my mother the importance of honoring and being respectful toward military services and branches," she said. "My sister is a Marine who started her service fresh out of high school. My great-grandfather on my other side was also in the military. I have numerous aunts and uncles that have served, and I have students that have chosen to go into the military."

She spoke to the complexity surrounding military service within Indigenous communities, adding that not everyone approaches it the same way. Though Chapoose works for the Paiute Tribe, she is a citizen of the Ute Tribe.

"My tribe, the Ute Tribe, we're a warrior society," she explained. "We will defend our people how we need to defend our people. And so that's where that pride comes in."

Chapoose has worked with several tribes in Utah and Idaho, and said that there's a "pride that comes with protecting our people and our land." She said that there are many established communities for Native American veterans, and she hopes to create that for those in the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.

"Our ultimate goal with the monument and listing out the names is to honor our veterans and to identify who they are, their families, and really give the proper recognition on what band they are from," Chapoose said.

The Veterans' Monument in Cedar City was dedicated in 2023 and honors 59 veterans from each of the five constituent bands of the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah.

Along with gathering the names of Paiute veterans, Chapoose said she hopes to preserve more of their individual histories.

"Through this process, we've been able to identify more of their stories and their honors," she said. "A lot of our veterans came home with honors, or they didn't come home at all. The stories are really important, and they help shape our community."