(CNN) -- In light of reports that linked the name "Geronimo" with the operation that took down Osama bin Laden, Native Americans expressed disappointment Thursday and pointed to the sacrifices they have made in the service. "To associate a Native warrior with bin Laden is not an accurate reflection of history and it undermines the military service of Native people," said Jefferson Keel, president of the National Congress of American Indians. "It's critical that military leaders and operational standards honor the service of those who protect our freedom." Initial press reports said that "Geronimo" was used in the raid to refer to bin Laden, but a senior administration official later told CNN that it was code for the act of capturing or killing bin Laden, not for the man himself.
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Tying Geronimo to bin Laden "undermines the military service of Native people," official says
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Dozens of Native Americans have died serving in Afghanistan and Iraq
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Geronimo was an Apache leader in the late 1800s
"Whether it was intended only to name the military operation to kill or capture Osama bin Laden or to give Osama bin Laden himself the code name @placeholder, either was an outrageous insult and mistake," he said.