The Air Force and Indian imagery
Top officer calls for abolishing insignia

Sam Lewin 6/7/2005

http://nativetimes.com/index.asp?action=displayarticle&article_id=6571


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."


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