The Air Force and Indian imagery
Top officer calls for abolishing insignia
Sam Lewin 6/7/2005
As various schools and universities across the country debate the use of Native American imagery, a top military leader has taken a stand on the contentious issue.
With little fanfare, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Gerald Murray has urged officials to reconsider the use of American Indian imagery on the Chief Master Sergeant chevron- an insignia consisting of a V-shaped bar or bars worn on the sleeve of a military officer to show rank- and said, “the use of Native American symbols in an official capacity to signify a rank or status is inappropriate.”
Murray made those statements in a letter dated April 15. His post represents the highest enlisted level of leadership in the United States Air Force.
Indian activists have complained for years about the symbols on the chevron.
“Many of these images have ceremony pipes, eagle feathers, paints and some drawings even lead one to assume that Native Americans prays to the CMSgt stripes. These types of artwork are ridiculing and hurtful and are form of discrimination or subjugating one race to a mere mascot,” stated the American Indian Movement of Virginia in 2001.
For now, Murray’s comments seem to be non-binding, and have even drawn fire from some segments of the military community.
“An 15 April 2005 letter authored by Gerald R. Murray, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, was discussed. The letter was critical of the use of Native American symbols in conjunction with the CMSgt chevron. It also addressed the policy of the initiation of the "Jeep Chief" and expressed concern that Chiefs were conducting private meetings. It was the consensus of the Group that Chief Murray was being overly concerned and that the letter was unfounded and unnecessary,” wrote the McClellan Park Chiefs Group, an organization of Air Force officials based in California, in summarizing the minutes of a recent meting.
The following is the complete text of Murray’s memo as it relates to the chevron:
“One of the practices embraced by Chiefs through the years is the use of Native American symbols in conjunction with the Chief Master Sergeant chevron. I believe the intent has always been to capture the virtues of courage, bravery, and honor associated with an American Indian Chief. However, there are some that take it too far, implying these symbols define their individual or group status, rather than keeping focus on the leadership that truly defines a Chief Master Sergeant. Today we find these symbols in the form of statutes, busts, headdresses, crafts and artwork, and logos on hats, mugs, shirts, letterhead, coins and more. We give them as gifts and/or purchase ourselves to adorn offices, clubs and homes. We've gone so far as to create graphic displays with our heralded chevrons imbedded with these Indian symbols. The fact is: There is no official correlation between the U.S. Air Force rank of Chief Master Sergeant and Native Americans. The use of Native American symbols in an official capacity to signify a rank or status is inappropriate. Letterhead, printed programs, itineraries, and other items related to our rank or insignia paid for with appropriated funds should not carry Native American symbols.”
Link to Report
NTN Article#: 6571
June Reports
Last updated on June 07, 2005