Warrior Tradition

In Native American culture, the warrior tradition emphasizes courage, bravery, protecting the community, and demonstrating strength through acts of valor. But the concept of a warrior extends beyond combat to include providing for the family and upholding cultural values. Stacy Pearsall meets three Native American veterans who served the country while upholding tribal traditions. Army veteran Mitchelene BigMan (Crow) was deployed twice to Iraq, where she faced discrimination, inspiring her to create Native American Women Warriors. Harold "Buster" Hatcher, Chief of the South Carolina Waccamaw Indian People, retired from the Army after serving for 20 years, including a deployment to Vietnam. Johancharles "Chuck" Van Boers (Lipan Apache Nation) was an Army combat photographer who deployed multiple times, including to Grenada and Iraq.