PHOENIX, Ariz.- Este Cate Hoktvke Suletawv (Native Women Warriors), the Muscogee (Creek) Nation’s Women Honor Guard attended this year’s Piestewa Challenge. This year marks the event’s 21st anniversary, which is hosted on March 23. It was located at the Ocotillo Ramada at the start of the Piestewa Peak trailhead on the Phoenix Mountain Preserve.
According to the official Piestewa website, “This event honors the 179 women who have given their lives in combat operations around the globe since 9/11, 177 of which died during the Global War on Terrorism Campaign (GWOT), as well as ALL women who have died while in service to our nation. This effort is inspired by the sacrifice of SPC Lori Ann Piestewa. SPC Piestewa is the first Native American woman service member to be killed in combat on foreign soil, as well as the first female service member killed in Iraq,”
MCN Public Outreach Officer Kaylea Berry (Mvskoke) attended the Piestewa Challenge event. Berry is a member of the Mvskoke Nation Women Warriors. She served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, from 2017-2021. Berry was inspired to enlist because of people close to her who enlisted, including her friend and her cousin.
“I wanted to be part of something bigger and I prayed about it and it was something that God was calling me to. It was just an opportunity for me as well to get out of Oklahoma to travel and just to do something different,” Berry said.
The Mvskoke Nation’s Women Honor Guard was charted in November 2022. They traveled to the Piestewa Challenge last year, which was their first year to attend. This year they were honored to return to pay respects to their fellow women warriors in arms.
“It’s such an amazing event to be able to honor a woman who not only served her country but was the first Native woman to first give her life overseas,” Berry said. “Lori Piestewa’s family is a Gold Star family because she gave her life during service so they try to not only remember her, but I think it also brings awareness to other people of what sacrifice really means and I think it’s just a great way to honor her and the services.”
Piestewa Challenge
This year’s Piestewa Challenge had a sunrise ceremony. Piestewa’s grandson ran to the highest of the peak of the mountain and renamed the peak in honor of her. The event saw different tribes and speakers from all over the country. Lori’s close friends and family spoke as well. According to Berry she saw somewhere between eight to nine total honor guards that participated, and estimated that the event saw at least a couple hundred in attendance.
Berry saw familiar faces in the honor guards, former performers and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. She remarked that she was glad to see familiar faces and new ones alike. Fundraisers are periodically held throughout the year to raise money for event organizers. According to Berry, she is impressed with the work they do to host the challenge every year.
“It was an honor not only to represent being a veteran but also a women veteran and a Mvskoke women veteran. It’s just an amazing opportunity for us as the Mvskoke Nation’s Women’s Honor Guard to go and represent the Nation not only on our own reservation but also on a reservation across the U.S. and to be able to build relationships with those that we came in contact with.” Berry said.
The Mvskoke Nation’s Women Honor Guard has attended and participated in numerous events, but according to Berry, she believes this is the biggest out-of-state event the group has attended thus far. Berry said that she is grateful for the invitation to represent the Nation in a positive way.
Currently the Mvskoke Nation’s Women Honor Guard has 12 members, but they are always looking for more Mvskoke women veterans to join the group.
For information about requests for honor guard appearances at events or for general membership, follow their Facebook page, Este Cate Hoktvke Suletawv. The page features attached links to fill out.
To learn more about the yearly challenge, visit the Wear Blue to Remember website.
