Native Americans and Buffalo Soldiers are integral to Fort Sill's long and fascinating history. A "Legacy of the Warrior" luncheon was held March 9 at Fort Sill to honor the Buffalo Soldiers and highlight the ongoing warrior heritage among Native Americans.
Veterans and active-duty Native American service members were honored for their sacrifices and service. Gunnery Sgt. Danielle Kinney, who spoke during the luncheon, told everyone about her experience.
“As a speaker, I felt it was my duty to explain who the Western Apache are who are buried here. My parents instilled in me a sense of pride in who I am and where I come from, and they made it clear to me that my future job as an elder is to teach. I felt compelled to represent them and convey their story,” Kinney explained.
Kinney has mixed ancestry with half Navajo Salt Clan and half White Mountain Apache Eagle Clan blood. Kinney grew up on the Native American reservation of Fort Apache. Both Navajo and Apache customs are ingrained in her.
"Life on the reservation was tough," Kinney said. “The rates of substance abuse, suicide, and physical and sexual abuse are all shockingly high.”
She said she found a positive outlet by participating in athletics. Kinney later attended high school in Anadarko, Oklahoma, at Riverside Indian Boarding School, where she spent her junior and senior years. During high school, Kinney was tasked with researching and writing about a living family member who served in the military. Kinney could pick from various military branches because her father was a Marine, and several of her uncles and grandparents also served in the military. Kinney's desire to follow in the footsteps of her family members led her to join the Armed forces.
"I am the first and only woman in my family to serve as a Marine," she said.
Ultimately, Kinney wants to give her children and grandchildren a positive example. Kinney is still serving, and when she's not in uniform, she enjoys teaching and volunteering, especially regarding Native American traditions.
At Legacy of the Warrior luncheon, speakers from the military and the tribes expressed their hope that relationship growth and developing partnerships would serve as an example for other branches of the Armed Forces to follow.
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