Ira Hamilton Hayes was born on January 12, 1923.

His father, Joe Hayes, was a farmer who tried to work the dry land the reservation still offered.

His mother, Nancy, was known as a devout Christian and a stabilizing presence in the family.

Ira was one of nine children.

By most accounts he was a quiet child — thoughtful, a little reserved, someone who observed more than he spoke.

He attended school on the reservation, then the Phoenix Indian School, a federal boarding institution that operated on the assimilationist model.

Students at Phoenix Indian School were discouraged from speaking their Native languages and trained in practical trades.