Books & Poetry
Book review: From Warriors to Soliders
By MICHELE POWERS GLAZE
From Warriors to Soldiers
Gary Robinson and Phil Lucas
www.clearlightbooks.com
EnlargeThe relationship between the American Indian and the U.S. military has been a contentious one over the years.
Despite conflicting agendas, broken promises, negative stereotyping, and a general lack of recognition and respect, Native Americans have used their skills and traditions to serve their country militarily with distinction, in numbers proportionally higher than other ethnic groups.
Drawing upon citations, military records, tribal memorabilia, and interviews with some 40 scholars and veterans, Cherokee-Choctaw writer and filmmaker Gary Robinson and filmmaker Phil Lucas present a history of Native Americans in the military from the American Revolution through the Gulf conflicts.
"More than simply a history of military service, this book also examines the transition that Indians made from the traditional role of warrior in Native American cultures to the role of soldier as defined in military tradition," Robinson says.
Of particular interest are the Indians' personal and cultural reasons for serving, as well as the traditional Native purging ceremonies that helped veterans integrate back into society. Historical anecdotes throughout the text call up the names Crazy Horse, Stand Watie, and Chief Joseph, as well as lesser-known figures such as Polly Cooper, Chief Hanyery, and the Choctaw code talkers of World War I.
This book offers a unique look at a long-neglected realm of American history.
Issue: April 2009
