Robert Wapahi-mami, an 81-year-old Vietnam War veteran and member of the Santee Sioux Nation, recently reflected on his military service and complex sense of identity. At a powwow in Pilsen last summer, Wapahi-mami carried a Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA) flag, a symbol he brings to these gatherings as a tribute to fallen and missing soldiers.

The event opened with the Grand Entry, a ceremonial procession featuring a color guard bearing the flags of the United States and Canada, followed by an Eagle Staff adorned with feathers. Jay Young, executive director of the American Indian Center in Albany Park, emphasized the significance of the Eagle Staff’s position in the procession, stating that it represents Native sovereignty and the enduring presence of Indigenous communities. Veterans hold a particularly honored place, recognizing their service both in the U.S. military and in defending their tribes long before the formation of the United States.

Wapahi-mami served more than two years in Vietnam, a period during which he grappled with conflicting feelings about his role. “Basically, I was fighting on the side of those who once hunted me,” he said, referencing the historical persecution of his people. He was raised on the Santee Sioux reservation in Nebraska, where many descendants of the Santee were relocated after being forced out of Minnesota in the 1860s.

In the mid-20th century, Wapahi-mami experienced further displacement when he and other members of the Santee community were moved to Chicago under a Bureau of Indian Affairs relocation program. Upon arrival, they were dropped off downtown, given one month’s rent money, and left to navigate life in a new city with limited support.

Holding the POW/MIA flag at the powwow, Wapahi-mami remembered the comrades he lost in Vietnam. Yet, he also acknowledged the difficulty of confronting those memories, as they often stir feelings of anger. “Yes, everyone gets their time at the top of the social scale, but I’ve never really been comfortable with being a minority in my own home,” he said, reflecting on his enduring sense of marginalization despite his service.

Wapahi-mami’s story illustrates the complicated relationship Native American veterans often face between their military service and their cultural identity, highlighting ongoing challenges around belonging and recognition within broader society.