Whitekiller takes tribal ties around the globe

By Dustin Gray
Media Specialist

Staff Sergeant Robert Whitekiller’s military service has taken him to several foreign countries: Italy, South Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan. His heart, though, has never left Seminole County.

Whitekiller was deployed with the 173rd airborne brigade in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom I and Operation Enduring Freedom VI. He led missions as squad leader, platoon sergeant and combat engineer liaison.

Often, the arid, windswept conditions of his surroundings would begrime his uniform. Catching his own reflection, Whitekiller would reminisce about the dirty-legged stomp dances and dirty-faced all Indian softball tournaments that he treasured as a child.

Robert Whitekiller, or simply “Bo,” as he is known by his many friends and family members in Seminole County, was born November 29, 1964 to Robert and Bernita Jane Bemo Whitekiller in Harlingen, Texas, the brother of Jon Christopher and half-brother of Danny Whitekiller. Growing up in the Vamoosa/Konawa area, he can still recall the circumstantial evidence of a well-rounded childhood: gourd dancing at Pow Wows, playing basketball with his friends “Spike” Harjo and “Commander” Leander Yellowfish, the abundance of Star Trek t-shirts and ridiculous 80’s hairstyles at school, attending vacation bible school with his cousins and earning his first few dollars in the summer youth program with cousin Ronnie Harjo.

The values of pride and compassion were instilled in Bo Whitekiller at an early age. His father, Keetoowah Cherokee, and mother, Seminole and Creek, took him along on their travels to other states, where he would learn about the cultures and traditions of various other native nations.

After graduating from Konawa High School, he attended Seminole State College, East Central University and Haskell Indian Nations University. His initial pursuit of higher education, though, ultimately left him unfulfilled.

For a period of eight years, he wandered aimlessly, unable to forge a self-identity.

Then, in a roadside ditch in 1991, Whitekiller found his higher calling. His car, like the events of the previous decade in his life, had swerved suddenly off path. More than ever, he was now astutely aware of his own salvation, vowing to develop a stronger spiritual knowledge and dedicate his life to the service of others. He became an active figure at Spring Baptist Church in Sasakwa, and found employment as a counselor in the Seminole Nation Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Program.

At the age of 31, his selfless dedication led him to enlistment in the United States Army.

He has since encountered a wealth of different cultures in his travels overseas, and has come to one important realization.

“We are all basically the same,” says Whitekiller, “with family a central part of what shapes us.”

He has also found that many overseas societies are fully aware of the Indian community’s plight for self-determination and America’s past atrocities against indigenous nations. It’s an unsettling topic, but a common tie that is shared with many Afghan tribal communities. Barriers have been broken and progress has been made through this shared plight, with beneficial discussions laying the foundation for positive changes to come.

“If the local family is in disarray, then the children will develop the same way,” says Whitekiller.

“A child will not want to stay in a soiled diaper; it will cry until someone helps to change it,” he adds. “Using this analogy, the [local Afghan] leaders seek out the ones who will take time to help the little one, not the ones who stand by and watch it cry.”

His military experience has reinforced the early notions of a childhood fascination with different cultures.

“One thing that cannot be taken away is an education and understanding of self and others,” he says. “I have learned more about who I am by knowing about other cultures and their beliefs.”

Currently, Bo Whitekiller is stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana’s Joint Readiness/Training Center, where he serves as a Combat Engineer Observer/Controller, evaluating the readiness of deploying military units. He was selected for this 3 year, non-deployable assignment based on merit and his expertise in the field, and has recently been selected for promotion to the rank of Sergeant First Class. Additionally, he is enrolled in the University of Oklahoma’s distance learning program, which will conclude in a Bachelor of Arts degree in administrative leadership.

For the first time in 6 years of marriage, he and his wife, Bernita, are together, along with their two daughters; Camry Fox, 5, and Malena Azzuri, 1. They also have custody of 15-year-old Winter Dawn Coker, his sister-in-law. While balancing family life with military obligations has required a few adjustments, for Bo Whitekiller, it all comes into perspective when he sees his children smiling and hears their laughter.

Inspired by the passion of his grandfather Richard Bemo, an Ocese Band General Council Representative, and the humility of his grandmother Irene Bemo, a member of the Tom Palmer Band, Whitekiller plans to sharpen his indigenous language skills and continue to educate himself and monitor events within the Seminole Nation for future involvement as an active band member.

He also hopes to share his experiences with the tribal youth and motivate them to continue to move forward and prepare themselves for life’s challenges.

“A life without a spiritual foundation is a life full of negative conflict and depression,” he states. “It’s not always a positive trip, but an ongoing awareness of giving and receiving. The powerful nature of unconditional love, and knowing where the love comes from, will solve a lot of situations.”