We've Got The County Covered
We've Got The County Covered
On June 7, the Blaine County Museum unveiled an exhibit to honor Fort Belknap's Patriot Chief, Gilbert Horn, Senior. The exhibit not only recognizes the life of Fort Belknap Nakoda Chief and World War II Code Talker Skunk Ta Oba Kni (Returns with Prisoner's Horse) but honors all American Indian veterans.
The event, free and open to the public, was attended by approximately 100 people on Friday. The gathering began outdoors, where rows of chairs were set up on Indiana Street, before the crowd filed into the museum to get a glimpse of the exhibit. Also in attendance were several representatives from the Horn family, members of the Rocky Boy Color Guard, and a Fort Belknap drum group highlighting Ron and Morgan Doney and Winston Stewart.
As the afternoon's Mistress of Ceremonies, Blaine County Museum Director, Samantha French provided welcoming remarks before turning the microphone over to Gil's son Curtis Horn. Horn spoke about the significance of the date selected for the commemoration; June 7 was his mother Elizabeth's birthday. After talking briefly about his Assiniboine parents and their insistence upon leaving the old ways behind and embracing the new world where hard work would be required, Horn read a statement from the individual who crafted the buckskin war chief regalia for the purpose of the exhibit and felt honored to have been asked.
Other speakers at the event included Blaine County Commissioner Dolores Plumage who spoke about American Indians as social people who love to tease and tell jokes. "This is a great day to be happy," she said. "This exhibit is a treasure from the Horn family, and despite all the battles Gil endured, he survived with his sense of humor intact." Plumage also thanked French for her efforts in seeking to add this exhibit for "a better representation of the contributions from all of Blaine County's citizens."
Following Plumage, Blaine County Museum Board Member Greg Jergeson read a statement from Senator Jon Tester, who serves as Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. Tester recognized Gilbert Horn, Senior, as a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient who was "a veteran and a tribal hero who defended our freedom."
On behalf of the museum, Jergeson thanked VFW Post 4620, the Chinook Lions' Club, and the Curtis Horn family for their donations in funding the modification costs required to house the exhibit.
Before unveiling the exhibition, French shared some background information about its creation. "First, I'd like to personally thank the children of Gilbert Horn, Senior, for entrusting the museum with their father's collection, and for sharing with us his remarkable story. I know that the decision to donate Gilbert's personal effects was not taken lightly, and much care and consideration went into selecting a home for these items," French stated.
In her five years with the museum, French named this acquisition as memorable, describing the experience as likely to "be among the proudest moments of my career. I believe that because I have a hard time imagining I will again have the opportunity to highlight the life of anyone as extraordinary as Gilbert Horn, Sr."
French continued by calling Horn an "inspirational role model" and referring to Horn's life as a "remarkable story of advocacy." She titled the exhibit "Fort Belknap's Patriot Chief" after historian Alvin M. Josephy's 1961 book, The Patriot Chiefs. That text profiles several of North America's prominent American Indian leaders-individuals such as Chief Joseph-who made deep sacrifices for their people.
"While I am uncertain if Gilbert and Josephy ever crossed paths, I am certain that if Josephy were alive to write a sequel about modern patriot chiefs, Gil would need a chapter of his own," French said.
"This exhibition contains a multitude of universal themes, themes that I think every future visitor will be able to relate to. [These include] themes of adventure, of wanting to prove oneself as a young person, themes related to the selfless and sacrificing love of elders and grandparents, of mothers and fathers. Themes of tremendous adversity, themes of awe-inspiring heroism. Themes of service, of honoring others, of honoring oneself.
"While not explicitly emphasized, presented there are [also] themes of peace. Towards the end of the exhibit, there is a letter penned by Gilbert in 1995, during the aftermath of the Oklahoma City Bombing. His grief and rage are palpable-that he and his fellow veterans would sacrifice so much to protect Americans from outside assailants, only for Americans to turn against one another in a devastating act of domestic terrorism. If we truly wish to honor our veterans, we can best do so by honoring each other. I think that during this time of great division in our nation, we can best honor the legacy of warriors like Gilbert Horn, Sr. by respecting one another. I hope that that [message] is a key takeaway for all visitors [of this exhibit]," French explained.
French concluded her remarks with an observation: "As rural Montanans, we often look to major American cities as centers for museums, as centers for learning about our nation's history. I'd like to point out that Washington D.C. [may have] monuments to great Americans, [but] communities in rural Montana raise great Americans. If you'd like to learn about who and what makes history, look no further than you own backyard. I hope you enjoy viewing this exhibit as much as I have enjoyed participating in its creation."
At the conclusion of French's words, Ron Doney explained that the drum group and singers would perform Takes the Prisoner's Horse, a World War II victory song meant to praise the warriors. Those in attendance described the ululations and the drumbeats as "filled with emotion and power."
Once gathered inside the museum, Willowa "Sis" Horn, Gil's oldest daughter, performed the exhibition's unveiling by sweeping aside the black concealing curtain and ushering people into the exhibit.
To extend the day of celebration, honoring "the extraordinary service of Gilbert Horn, Sr.," at 6:30 on Friday evening, the 1962 Hollywood film Merrill's Marauders was shown in the Blaine County Library's Conference Room.
Directed by Samuel Fuller who intended to capture the "sheer hell of war," the film highlights a unit of 3000 soldiers who were commanded by Brigadier General Frank D. Merrill. On a secret mission through Japanese occupied Burma during World War II and with the help of an elite intelligence troop, the marauders manage to traverse hundreds of miles of dense jungle unnoticed. However, as soon as the gaunt and fatigued soldiers survive their trek, they're informed that they've completed only the first of many harrowing objectives.
