American Indian veterans face greater rates of PTSD

An American Indian tribe with a strong commitment to military service is beginning to feel the effects of sending its members off to serve in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The Southern News Services reported July 5 that in Northern Wisconsin's Menominee County, population 4,562, a large proportion of its residents serve in the military.

In Menominee County, almost 90 percent of the residents are members of the Menominee tribe, and the county "provided more soldiers to the Army over the last four years than any other county in the nation without a major Army installation," according to an analysis by the Post-Dispatch of St. Louis.

Native Americans have long played an important role in the United States armed forces. Today, 200,000 Native American are veterans and, historically, they have the highest record of service per capita when compared with other ethnic groups, according to the Defense Department.

"The reasons behind the disproportionate contribution are complex: poverty, lack of education, few job opportunities. But many experts, as well as Native Americans themselves, say military service also is rooted in their culture."

"That service comes with a heavy price. Native American veterans of the Vietnam War suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at twice the rate of white veterans," according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. "Contributing factors included prejudice they encountered in the military, guilt over violating spiritual beliefs and acts against civilians that triggered reminders of the brutality Native Americans suffered in the past. Although no studies have yet been done on Native American veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, experts expect similar problems."

Louie Kakwitch, the Tribal Veteran Service Officer for Menominee County, says: "Over the past two years, a half-dozen tribal veterans of Iraq or Afghanistan have filed for disability claims, due in part to post-traumatic stress. About a year and a half ago, a counselor began traveling from Milwaukee to Menominee County to meet with veterans every other week, but few attend."