Native Bidaské: A Highway Sign that Honors 139 Native American Soldiers

Who was Company K, and why did Native American soldiers fight in the Civil War before they were recognized as U.S. citizens?
In this episode of Native Bidaské, host Levi Rickert speaks with Scott Schwander, a citizen of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, about the remarkable story of Company K—139 Native American soldiers from northern Michigan who fought for the Union during the Civil War.
Schwander spent nearly a decade helping secure the designation of a portion of Michigan’s M-22 highway in honor of Company K. The conversation explores the soldiers’ service, the discrimination they faced, their participation in major Civil War battles, and why their story remains relevant today.
Topics covered:
• Who was Company K?
• Native American soldiers in the Civil War
• The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
• Why Native men enlisted despite not being U.S. citizens
• The Battle of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and the Battle of the Crater
• Andersonville Prison and the sacrifices of Native veterans
• The new Company K Memorial Highway on M-22 in Michigan
• Native military service and patriotism
Company K’s soldiers fought for the Union decades before Native Americans were granted U.S. citizenship in 1924. Their story challenges us to think about citizenship, service, sacrifice, and the place of Native people in American history.
Guest:
Scott Schwander
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Host:
Levi Rickert
Founder and Publisher, Native News Online
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#NativeAmericanHistory #CivilWar #CompanyK #GrandTraverseBand #NativeBidaské #LeviRickert #IndianCountry #NativeNewsOnline #MichiganHistory #IndigenousHistory #NativeVeterans #CivilWarHistory #TribalSovereignty #AmericanHistory
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Written by Native News Online