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UA Little Rock to host ‘Patriot Nations’ exhibit honoring Native Americans in the Armed Forces

Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in the South Pacific, on an inspection trip of American battle fronts in late 1943. From left: Staff Sgt. Virgil Brown (Pima), 1st Sgt. Virgil F. Howell (Pawnee), Staff Sgt. Alvin J. Vilcan (Chitimacha), Gen. MacArthur, Sgt. Byron L. Tsingine (Diné [Navajo]), Sgt. Larry Dekin (Diné [Navajo]). Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Signal Corps.

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a Smithsonian exhibit honoring Native Americans who have served in the U.S. military. 

The UA Little Rock Sequoyah National Research Center will host the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian’s exhibit, “Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces.”

The exhibit will be supplemented by materials from Sequoyah’s collections from World War I veterans. It was made possible by the generous support of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.

Native Americans have served in the country’s military since colonial times. Today, they serve at a higher rate in proportion to their population than any other ethnic group in the nation.

The exhibit, which is free and open to the public, will be on display from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Sept. 5 through Nov. 30 at Sequoyah National Research Center, 5820 Asher Ave., Suite 500. An opening reception for the exhibit will be held from 4-6 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 6.

For more information, contact Sequoyah at 501-569-8336 or visit www.ualr.edu/sequoyah.

In the upper right photo, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, commander-in-chief of the Allied forces in the South Pacific, on an inspection trip of American battle fronts in late 1943. From left: Staff Sgt. Virgil Brown (Pima), 1st Sgt. Virgil F. Howell (Pawnee), Staff Sgt. Alvin J. Vilcan (Chitimacha), Gen. MacArthur, Sgt. Byron L. Tsingine (Diné [Navajo]), Sgt. Larry Dekin (Diné [Navajo]). Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Signal Corps.