Fall 2021
In 1914 the world began its descent into one of the most depraved periods of conflict that the world has ever seen—World War 1. Towards the end of the conflict, one notable latecomer entered the fray: the United States. Now when we think of the Americans in World War 1 we often think of the all-American doughboy from the propaganda posters. However, World War One is a unique conflict in American history due to the service of the Indigenous peoples of America. The motivations for their service in the U.S. military, what their service entailed, and the America they came home to was quite unique when compared to other U.S. servicemen. Such a historical setting creates an interesting opportunity to learn about Indigenous history through the theme of Native involvement in U.S. affairs.
It may seem a contradiction that a people that have been historically oppressed by a nation and government should be motivated to serve and sacrifice in its name. Yet, Native peoples would go on to participate in the war effort. The reasons for serving in an American foreign endeavor like WW1 were as diverse and unique as the Native nations themselves. Said reasons included a unique opportunity to win war honors, demonstrate a capacity for independence, advance the cause for justice, a devotion to the land and its protection that transcended prior misdeeds (Tate 2015, 402). However, this isn’t to say that all Native peoples were willing to serve. Two prime examples are the Iroquois confederation who saw fit to declare war on Germany themselves before serving, and the Native peoples who resisted the draft on the grounds of denied citizenship and that it violated their sovereignty and treaty rights (Tate 2015).
Native peoples took on an array of tasks through their involvement in the war effort. From a military standpoint, Native soldiers served with distinction as scouts, snipers, pilots, sailors, and code talkers all while sustaining a casualty rate five times above the average (Britten 1997, 82–83, 106–7). However, service in the military wasn’t the only contribution that Native peoples made to the war effort. Those who stayed behind contributed heavily to the home front with the purchase of liberty bonds and war savings stamps, planting victory gardens and canning goods, joining the Red Cross, and working in factories (Britten 1997, 136–37, 147).
At the conclusion of the war, the return home from foreign shores proved to be a uniquely lukewarm experience. On the one hand when they returned many were greeted with the praise and admiration of a public and government grateful for their service (Britten 1997, 160). However, the end of the war coincided with the conclusion of the Progressive Era and with it the atmosphere of change that had gripped the nation (Hoxie 2001, 13). It was this familiar lack of change that followed their many sacrifices that led many Native peoples to feel that they still had not gained the confidence of the government which continued to oppress them (Cobb 2015, 37). This would later be reflected in the 1928 Meriam report which detailed Native peoples around the country living in poverty, disease, and general suffering in the years following WWI (Britten 1997, 171).
In a time of great need for the United States, Native peoples from across the country came to serve and sacrifice. They took on some of the most dangerous roles in the military and served with distinction while also applying themselves on the home front. Yet, when the war concluded little had changed and Native peoples were faced with the all too familiar prospect of the continued struggle for their rights.
References
Britten, Thomas A. 1997. American Indians in World War I: At Home and at War. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.
Cobb, Daniel M. 2015. Say We Are Nations: Documents of Politics and Protest in Indigenous America since 1887. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press.
Hoxie, Frederick E. 2001. Talking Back to Civilization: Indian Voices from the Progressive Era. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Tate, Carolyn. 2015. First Peoples: A Documentary Survey of American Indian History. Glebe, NSW: Blake Education.
