As the United States observes the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, reflections across Indian Country highlight the enduring connection between Native American communities and the national tragedy. This milestone offers an opportunity to look back on how the events reshaped the country while exploring the unique vantage point of Indigenous citizens who navigate dual citizenship within their sovereign tribal nations and the broader American republic.
The memories of September 11, 2001, remain clear for millions who watched the tragedy unfold. The strikes began at 8:46 a.m. when a commercial airliner hit the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. While broadcast commentators on programs such as NBC's "Today Show" initially suspected a catastrophic aviation accident, that perception was shattered 18 minutes later when a second passenger jet crashed into the south tower on live television, proving the incidents were intentional.
The scope of the coordinated attack quickly widened with news that a third plane had struck the Pentagon. A fourth hijacked airliner, United Airlines, crashed into a Pennsylvania field after passengers and crew members attempted to retake control from the hijackers. That aircraft was headed toward Washington, D.C., with the U.S. Capitol building identified as its likely target. By the end of the day, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks.
For Native Americans, the tragedy brought renewed focus to the concept of dual citizenship, recognizing their standing as members of sovereign tribal nations as well as citizens of the United States. This connection was directly felt on the day of the disaster, as tribal leaders were present in the nation's capital conducting intergovernmental business.
Multiple policy meetings involving American Indian tribal leaders were scheduled in Washington on the morning of the attacks. A delegation from the Navajo Nation, including President Kelsey A. Begaye, several Council Delegates, and staff members, was among those in the city. Following the attacks, Navajo Nation Council Speaker Edward T. Begay released a statement in the Navajo-Hopi Observer confirming the delegation was safe, while offices in Window Rock, Arizona, coordinated their return travel once federal flight groundings were lifted.
Indian Country's relationship with the World Trade Center began long before the 2001 attacks. During the late 1960s and 1970s, hundreds of skilled Mohawk ironworkers contributed their labor and structural expertise to the construction of the original Twin Towers in New York City.
That connection endured through the aftermath of the collapse. Descendants of those Mohawk ironworkers traveled to New York to assist in the recovery and clearing operations at Ground Zero. The history of Mohawk ironworkers building and later helping clean up the World Trade Center site was subsequently preserved in an exhibition at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum.
The aftermath of September 11 also saw significant participation by Native Americans in the armed forces. Following the attacks, Indigenous people enlisted in the U.S. military at a higher proportion than non-Native Americans, continuing a sustained tradition of military service during wartime.
This commitment was chronicled by Osage photojournalist Steven Clevenger, who spent three years documenting Native service members during the Iraq War, culminating in the publication "America's First Warriors: Native Americans and Iraq." Clevenger's work examined the enduring warrior tradition among Native communities, observing that the fundamental cultural definition of a warrior has remained consistent since pre-Columbian times: a warrior serves as the protector of their people.
While nearly 3,000 people were killed on September 11, the ensuing military operations produced devastating consequences internationally. According to a report by the Costs of War Project at Brown University's Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, an estimated 940,000 individuals were killed directly by violence in post-9/11 wars across Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and other regions between 2001 and 2023.
The broader human toll of these conflicts extended further through indirect casualties caused by war-related conditions. The Watson Institute estimated that an additional 3.6 million to 3.8 million people died from indirect factors, raising the total estimated death toll from the post-9/11 wars to between 4.5 million and 4.7 million individuals.
The financial cost of these overseas engagements was equally substantial. The Costs of War Project calculated that the U.S. government spent or became obligated to spend more than $8 trillion on the post-9/11 wars, directing vast financial resources that could have otherwise supported global societal advancement.
Indigenous reflections also place the tragedy within a longer historical continuum, observing that violence on the continent did not begin 25 years ago, as Native ancestors historically defended their lands against aggression. Furthermore, the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol served as a reminder that political violence and internal threats continue to challenge the country from within.
Marking 25 years since the 2001 attacks, the anniversary closes with a call to maintain unity against both foreign adversaries and domestic divisions. Emphasizing solidarity and shared humanity, this sentiment is captured in the traditional phrase, "Thayék gde nwéndëmen" — affirming that all people are related.
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