Category: Entangled Histories/Complicated Stories
Serving Their Nations: Native Americans in WWII
By Aura Long Spring 2025 Introduction During World War II (1939-1945), over 44,000 Native Americans served in the U.S. military, and thousands more supported the war effort at home (Morgan 1995, 22). While often celebrated as patriots, their stories are more complex than that single label allows. The experiences of …
Reactions to Termination Policy: HCR 108 and PL 280
By Marco Caba-Acevedo Spring 2025 House Concurrent Resolution 108 and Public Law 280, each passed on August 1st and 15th of 1953, respectively, sought to terminate the intergovernmental relationships between the American federal government and several Native nations. HCR 108 called for Native nations to be made subjects of American …
Collier’s Reform: A Narrative Short Story
Fall 2021 The following is an exercise in creative writing, imagining the perspective of one of Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier’s staff members prior to passage of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. April 15th, 1934 Walking through the halls of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, I repeat my …
Ohiyesa / Dr. Charles Eastman: Between Two Worlds
As you read, try to consider the two distinct “sides” of Ohiyesa as essential parts of understanding him as a full, complex individual. Reaching this understanding is important because historical narratives so often one-dimensionalize Indigenous people, and hopefully this project can be a small step in undoing that harmful legacy. …
A Native Experience of The Great War
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 …
The Indian Reorganization Act of 1934
Fall 2021 The Indian Reorganization Act was a piece of legislature that passed in 1934, widely heralded as a grand and sweeping reform that bettered the lives of Indigenous nations across the United States. Was it really such a monumental moment in history, or was it just a rebranding of …
What Land and Treaties Mean to the Nishnaabeg People
Fall 2021 Even if you have never heard of the natural man stereotype towards Indigenous peoples, you can probably still picture what it is: an Indigenous American wearing stereotypical clothes, living “closer to nature;” as opposed to current western society, where most wear expensive clothes and live in urban cities. …
Ohiyesa and Bettering the Craft of History
Fall 2021 In discussions of rethinking the practice of history, looking at the story of Ohiyesa, or Charles Eastman, is not a bad place to start. Born a Dakota man and subsequently assimilated into white society as a physician and writer, Ohiyesa presents a variety of nuances to untangle. These …
Remembering Native Service in World War I and II
Fall 2021 Native Americans have served extensively in nearly all wars fought by the United States, from the Civil War to the Iraq war. Today, Native People serve at a greater rate than any other demographic (Ault 2020). It is therefore important to recognize the vital contributions of Indigenous peoples …
