in war-related industries and the uncounted and unsung “army” of Indigenous women who took over jobs formerly performed by men in reservation communities. Ultimately, this exhibition challenges and
explores deeply held assumptions about Na- tive Americans and military service, particu- larly the notion that all American Indians em- brace tribal warrior traditions that motivate them to join the military. To be sure, many Native nations, particularly those living on the Great Plains in the 1800s, have built social and cultural traditions around warfare and that spirit remains a source of pride today. As “Why We Serve” shows, however, warrior traditions are not shared by all tribes and thus cannot explain why Native people participate in the military at such high rates. Yet if tribal warrior traditions fail to ac-
count for military participation, what does? This question has no single answer. Motiva- tions for military service have varied over time and space and from individual to indi- vidual. Indeed, many Native individuals have served for the same reasons as anyone else: to demonstrate patriotism, to uphold fam- ily traditions of military service that stretch back for generations or to find a stable job and reliable meals—needs that could not always be met at home. Finally, many were drafted and wound up in uniform because Uncle Sam required them to do so. Woven within these basic reasons for service were the singularly Indigenous influences: pro- tecting one’s homeland and way of life, hon- oring treaty commitments and practices—by both individuals and their communities—of protection, cleansing and healing. The NMAI does not seek easy answers to
Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne/Arapaho) holds a Naga knife—a Southeast Asian knife used for cutting through vegetation—during the camouflage and evasion portion of ambush training for his service in Vietnam during 1963.
who volunteered to defend their homelands from Japanese invasion during World War II. We prioritized the representation of Native
women in a history that typically focuses on men. “Why We Serve” introduces Polly Cooper (Oneida), who brought food and supplies to starving American soldiers at Valley Forge during the American Revolu- tion. During World War I, Native women supported the Allied cause as nurses and as volunteers for the Red Cross, while Native families purchased some $25 million in war bonds––about $75 worth for every Ameri- can Indian man, woman and child. During World War II, American Indian women served in a military capacity alongside the roughly 12,000 Native women who worked
40 AMERICAN INDIAN FALL 2020
difficult questions but rather strives to pro- vide more complete, nuanced understand- ings of the Native American experience. That means challenging time-honored assump- tions and stereotypes, even those held by Na- tive people. It means providing opportunities for the public to acknowledge and think anew about the role American Indians have played in the history of our nation. In the end, it is our greatest hope that “Why We Serve” meets the challenge the U.S. Congress set for the NMAI first in 1994 and later in 2013 when it passed and then amended the Native Ameri- can Veterans’ Memorial Establishment Act: to recognize and raise awareness of Native Americans’ extraordinary tradition of service in the U.S. Armed Forces. X
National Museum of the American Indian Senior Editor Alexandra Harris and Historian Mark Hirsch co-authored the book and curated the exhibition “Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces.”
PHOTO COURTESY OF HARVEY PRATT
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