Minnie Spotted Wolf- The First Native Woman in the Marine Corps

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Minnie Spotted Wolf is known for being the first Native American woman to join the Marine Corps. Spotted Wolf joined the Marine Corps Women’s Reserve in July of 1943 and served for four years.  She started her time in the Marine Corps as a heavy equipment operator and was also was a driver for visiting officers and generals on bases in Hawaii and California.

Spotted Wolf was a member of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe and lived just outside of Heart Butte, Montana close to White Tail Creek.[2] Minnie was raised on a ranch near Heart Butte, Montana where she worked as a ranch hand. During her time as a ranch hand, she cut fence posts, drove a two-ton truck, and even broke horses. She discussed how the physical work she did as a ranch hand helped prepare her for the physical prowess that boot camp required. About boot camp, she said it was “hard, but not too hard.”

Following her time in the Marine Corps, she returned home to Montana where she married Robert England. In 1955, she earned a two-year degree in Elementary Education. Later in 1976, Spotted Wolf went on to earn her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education[3] and was an elementary school teacher for twenty-nine years until she passed away in 1988 at the age of sixty-five.[4] Minnie was a trailblazer for generations of women and Native Americans that would follow in her footsteps as proud native peoples and members of the armed forces. Minnie Spotted Wolf is just one of many Native People’s who’s stories have been overlooked and are crucial to understanding our history as a nation and as citizens of this great country.

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[1] Coie, P. (n.d.). Minnie Spotted Wolf. Retrieved November 27, 2020, from https://www.archivesfoundation.org/amendingamerica/minnie-spotted-wolf/

[2] Armed Forces History Museum. (2019, March 10). WWII – First USMC Native American Minnie Spotted Wolf. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.armedforcesmuseum.com/wwii-first-usmc-native-american-minnie-spotted-wolf/

 [3] Armed Forces History Museum

[4] Coie

[5] Armed Forces History Museum

[6] Bedell-Burke, M. (2017, December 01). Marine Private Practices with Bow and Arrow. Retrieved December 02, 2020, from https://www.womenofwwii.com/marines/marine-private-practices-with-bow-and-arrow/