List of Native American Tribes in the United States with links to articles and information. In 2001, Witherill, a member of the Navajo Nation, became the first Native American to compete in the Indy 500 in more than 40 years, as well as the race's first-ever full-blooded Native American driver. He avoided death in an area that rained it down in waves. He placed 19th out of 33. The film became perhaps the most memorable of World War II. Despite heavy enemy fire, Hayes and five other marines raised the U.S. flag atop the summit of the island. An Associated Press reporter captured this moment on film. His father was a WW I veteran and his mother was a Presbyterian Sunday School teacher who understood the value of education. D Ira Hayes, a member of the Pima tribe, fought on the Pacific island of Iwo Jima during World War II. The family were members of the Pima tribe. That itself is remarkable, but what truly inspires his home community is his resilience. You see, Ira Hayes returned to the U.S. Born in 1923, Hayes was born in Sacaton, Arizona and raised on the Gila River Indian Reservation. That man was Ira Hayes. Peter LaFarge, “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” Posted by Paula on March 5, 2016 In 1964, Johnny Cash recorded one of his best and most under-rated works, called Bitter Tears: Ballads of … Ira Hayes, a Native American from the Pima reservation, survived that deadly conflict.