FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. – Soldiers, Department of the Army Civilians and members of the local Native American community joined the U.S. Army Network Enterprise Technology Command for the Native American Heritage Month Observance Nov. 29 in the Greely Hall Auditorium.
Native American Heritage Month provides the Army an opportunity to recognize and express appreciation for the contributions of Native American Soldiers, veterans, civilians and Family members, and to reflects on their achievements and contributions to the Army and nation. This year’s theme, “Celebrating Tribal Sovereignty and Identity,” honors the cultures and contributions of the tribal nations and shows our gratitude to the more than 150,000 veterans of American Indian and Alaskan Native descent.
Joining NETCOM’s observance and serving as guest speaker was Ms. Angelita Manygoats, who is also a member of the Navajo Tribe. In addition, Manygoats retired in 2020 as a Master Sergeant after serving 26 years with the Arizona Army National Guard to include a combat tour in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from 2003 to 2004.
Manygoats currently serves as the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Officer, Joint Force Headquarters, Arizona National Guard.
Following the traditional Navajo custom of introduction, "I am (mother's clan), born for (father's clan),” Manygoats proceeded to tell a story about how she first encountered her very first racial remarks as a young child and how that subtle encounter later shaped her perception of how truly rich her Native American heritage really is.
“I want to share with you a story of when I was growing up and I guess it may not have been a racist thing at the time; however, a kid from a nearby school approached me and asked me, do you guys still live in Tepees?”
“At the time I did not know how to respond, I said ‘I live in a hogan’ but as I matured, I thought back to that incident, and I thought, why not we do live in Tepees still because that is our heritage, I still live in hogan and that is what I grew up with,” Manygoats said.
Manygoats then proceeded to talk about the injustices towards Native Americans throughout history from the colonial period to present. In stark contrast however, Manygoats gave credence to Native American military service contributions not only to the nation but the state of Arizona, which has a higher percentage of Native American veterans than the rest of the nation.
“We stood up, we were called to action because this is our country, we wanted to defend our country and our way of life as well,” Manygoats said.
According to Manygoats, Native American’s have always stepped up to the plate and served their country from the first generation of code talkers in the First World War to the code talkers in World War II. Likewise, Native Americans have served in all of America’s modern conflicts.
Manygoats also reflected on her personal experiences from stories passed on from her grandfather’s service in World War II, where he participated in the fighting during the liberation of Sicily and the much larger Italian campaign.
“My grandfather, when he came home in 1943, would not eat meat or go near meat because of what he saw during the war, it took him several years before he would eat meat again,” recounted Manygoats.
In closing, Manygoats addressed the heroism of Medal of Honor recipient Master Sergeant Woodrow W. Keeble during the Korean war, as well as the contributions of Army specialist Lori Piestewa, the first American Indian woman to die in combat on foreign soil.
Following the event, NETCOM Commanding General, Maj. Gen. Christopher L. Eubank, recognized Manygoats for her contributions to the observance with a command coin and two-star note.
“Thank you for your steadfast support to advance the spirit of Fort Huachuca’s National Native American Observance. Fort Huachuca, its Soldiers and Department of the Army Civilians appreciate the importance of your contribution to this year’s observance,” Eubank said.
For more news about NETCOM please visit: https://www.army.mil/netcom
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