Why was it a great honor for Plenty Coups to speak at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier?
During World War I, many Native American warriors fought for the United States. The United States government created a monument to honor all of the soldiers who fought in the war and other wars. Plenty Coups was asked to speak at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier to represent the Indian soldiers. In one of his greatest accomplishments, Plenty Coups represented all North American Indian tribes during the initial ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in 1921. When he learned of the ceremony, Plenty Coups felt compelled to speak and proposed that the unknown soldier could possibly be a red man.
Even though Native Americans were not considered citizens of this country until a later date, their warrior military societies were such that it only made sense for them to fight in the United States military. There were many very successful Indian people who did great things in the wars of this country. Plenty Coups made the point that this unknown soldier could possibly be an Indian and that they had contributed greatly to the efforts of this country.
Only certain people, including President Harding and Plenty Coups, spoke at the first ceremony. Plenty Coups' speech was a good example of how influential he was. Plenty Coups was the type of a leader and diplomat who wanted not only to represent the white man to his people but also to represent the Indian to the dominant society. The museum at Pryor contains a replica of the headdress that Plenty Coups left at Arlington National Cemetery when he represented all North American Indian Tribes. From: Chief Plenty Coups State Park Museum Tour Content