What Was The Role Of Native Americans During The 1930's And WWII?
For many years prior and during the 1930’s and WWII, there was a huge movement set in motion by the U.S government to destroy every cultural and religious aspect of Native Americans. During those years, as many Indian boarding schools separated young children from their tribes and tried erasing their cultural roots, some changes were being set in motion. For the first time, some people started speaking out about this destruction of culture and new advocates started to try and set policies in place to try and protect Indian traditions. Among them was the commissioner of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, John Collier. During the early years of the war, Collier was advocating for segregated Native American units because he thought they would help
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One was the settlement of Native Americans outside reservation lands and into more urban settings. In 1940, it is estimated that only about 5% of Native Americans lived in cities but by 1950, this number had risen to about 20% (Bernstein 153). Aside from resettlement, many Native Americans tribes were seeing a rebirth of some their war traditions. This was due in part to the many Native American vets who were returning home plagued with PTSD and other post war health defects. According to many Native American traditional beliefs, war affects a soldier’s well being so once they return home, they require a lot of help healing themselves back together(NMAI). For the Navajo, this meant requiring the help of traditional medicine man and the practicing of some of their old traditions and dances. One of them is the old Squaw Dance which targets all vets who had seen combat, who were captured, or wounded(NMAI). Some Native American tribes also had traditions that were intertwined with influences from Christianity. For example, the Native American Church was an important form of spirituality for many Comanches and other tribes(NMAI). Some of their traditions included eating various plants such as the Peyote, a spiritual plant that is sacred to the members of the church(NMAI). Through the use of these traditions, both old and new, many tribes were able to help in the healing and revitalizing of many of their vets once they came home from the
One was the settlement of Native Americans outside reservation lands and into more urban settings. In 1940, it is estimated that only about 5% of Native Americans lived in cities but by 1950, this number had risen to about 20% (Bernstein 153). Aside from resettlement, many Native Americans tribes were seeing a rebirth of some their war traditions. This was due in part to the many Native American vets who were returning home plagued with PTSD and other post war health defects. According to many Native American traditional beliefs, war affects a soldier’s well being so once they return home, they require a lot of help healing themselves back together(NMAI). For the Navajo, this meant requiring the help of traditional medicine man and the practicing of some of their old traditions and dances. One of them is the old Squaw Dance which targets all vets who had seen combat, who were captured, or wounded(NMAI). Some Native American tribes also had traditions that were intertwined with influences from Christianity. For example, the Native American Church was an important form of spirituality for many Comanches and other tribes(NMAI). Some of their traditions included eating various plants such as the Peyote, a spiritual plant that is sacred to the members of the church(NMAI). Through the use of these traditions, both old and new, many tribes were able to help in the healing and revitalizing of many of their vets once they came home from the