Since he was 17 years old, this Army Veteran and Prescott, Arizona, resident has lived the Hopi proverb that “time isn’t used; it’s experienced.” In 1976, Filmer Kewanyama enlisted in the Army straight out of the Sherman Indian Boarding School in Riverside, California. Fast forward some 40 years later and he is proud of his time as an Army Infantryman. His military career took him from the 11 Bravo Infantry for 21 years of service to teaching others as a senior military instructor of ROTC in northern California at the University of California – Davis.
He admits that it may seem strange to have the Hopi heritage of peace guiding him and his call to serve in harm’s way. But Kewanyama says, “I never once regretted it.” He attributes his positive experience to the many Vietnam Veterans who came before him and who served as his mentors.
Although he enlisted in the Army as a way to support his family, it became his path to a life well-traveled, often taking him on a parallel journey of the Hopi people. Kewanyama explains that as he grew up within the tribe, he began to help his parents with art. Carving, painting, basketry – all become part of his life’s journey. Guided by both the rains and sun, Kewanyama says that as he moved from soldier to Veteran, he received good support from VA, including the vocational rehabilitation program, which helped him align his new calling and took him from teacher to student.
In 2010,
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