JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. – The cultural legacy of Native Americans remains an important part of the fabric and growth of the U.S. Each November their contributions are celebrated during National American Indian Heritage Month.

“Native Americans have influenced every stage of America’s development,” President Donald J. Trump said in a proclamation on Oct. 31, 2017. “The Nation is grateful for the service and sacrifice of all American Indians and Alaskan Natives. This month, I encourage all of our citizens to learn about the rich history and cultures of the Native American people.”

Did you know:

In World War I and World War II, the U.S. military employed a number of American Indian servicemen to use their tribal languages as a military code that could not be broken by the enemy, they were known as “code talkers.”

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roy Benavidez, Special Forces soldier and Yaqui Indian, received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of at least eight people during an emergency helicopter extraction in North Vietnam.

In 2002, (Ret) Navy Cmdr. John Bennett Herrington, astronaut and Chickasaw Indian, became the first enrolled member of a Native American tribe to orbit the Earth.

To learn more about American Indians and Alaskan Natives, Team Andrews will be hosting events on and off base.

• Nov. 18: A tour at the National Museum of the American Indian

   

• Nov 22: NAIH art exhibit at the Community Commons

   

• Nov. 30: NAIH closing ceremony at the Base Theater

   

  For more information about these events, see attached flyer.