Native American Role In Ww2 Case Study

Native Americans have existed in the different regions-the plains, mountains, marshes- of the North American continent- long before the United States existed. Yet, most were not treated with the respect and dignity that the white American settlers were given. Viewed as outlandish and savage by white settlers, series of negotiations to “correct” the Indian way of life were implemented- through forced relocation, war, and assimilation into white culture. Those who stood up against the American government were viewed as beacons of hope by their fellow Native Americans. Many Native American traditions still exist today, but unfortunately most of them have been lost along with their people.

During the World War II, many ethnic groups such as the Native Americans, Latinas, Japanese Americans and African Americans were struggling and fighting for their freedom and equal rights, many of the ethnic group achieved their goals due to the effort they all had to go through.

By 1940, Native Americans had experienced many changes and counter-changes in their legal status in the United States. Over the course of the nineteenth century, most tribes lost part or all of their ancestral lands and were forced to live on reservations. Following the American Civil War, the federal government abrogated most of the tribes’ remaining sovereignty and required communal lands to be allotted to individuals. The twentieth century also saw great changes for Native Americans, such as the Citizenship Act and the Indian New Deal. Alison R. Bernstein examines how the Second World War affected the status and lives of Native Americans in American Indians and World War II: Toward a New Era in Indian Affairs. Bernstein argues

Knowing some of the issues that Native Americans and the U.S. Government faced back in the 1800’s, believe it or not, there is still some that arise today, along with a lot of other issues that Native Americans have within themselves.

In conclusion the oppression of Native Americans is an often overlooked subject. It's important to learn about this and be aware of it because many Native Americans still live on reservations. Their oppression has not yet dissipated completely and not until recently, as recently as 1962, were they allowed to vote in every state. So we must be well informed in order to continue to dissipate Native American oppression and try to correct the mistakes of the

For instance, in response to the 800 flawless messages transmitted by Navajos at Iwo Jima, Major Howard Connor- who was the signal officer of the Navajos at Iwo Jima- said, “Were it not for the Navajos, the Marines would never have taken Iwo Jima” (“Navajo- Unbreakable Code”). The third Amphibious Corps was thought to have been the ones to report that, during Guam and other missions, the Navajo were “considered indispensable for the rapid transmission of classified dispatches” (Paul, 69). Besides transmitting vital information, the Code Talkers sometimes transmitted “dummy” messages (Takaki, 52). These false messages drove the enemy crazy, trying to decipher them, but getting nowhere (Takaki, 52). Meadows even puts forth the idea that if the Navajo and Comanche Indian communication units had been expanded, the war may have even been shortened (Meadows, “Comanche”, 50). As stated by Campbell, “In the year 2000, Federal legislation was enacted to award Congressional Gold Medals to the Navajo code talkers for their contribution to America’s victory over the Japanese Empire in World War II” (qtd. in “Hearing”). According to Tim Johnson, “There is no doubt that the bravery and the courage of the Navajo code talkers helped to make the United States the free and proud place it is today” (qtd. In “Hearing”). To an extreme extent,

From its birth, America was a place of inequality and privilege. Since Columbus 's arrival and up until present day, Native American tribes have been victim of white men 's persecution and tyranny. This was first expressed in the 1800’s, when Native Americans were driven off their land and forced to embark on the Trail of Tears, and again during the Western American- Indian War where white Americans massacred millions of Native Americans in hatred. Today, much of the Indian Territory that was once a refuge for Native Americans has since been taken over by white men, and the major tribes that once called these reservations home are all but gone. These events show the discrimination and oppression the Native Americans faced. They were, and continue to be, pushed onto reservations,

Vance (1995) stated, “For nearly 500 years there has been a very oppressive, dishonest and manipulative message being voiced by the dominant white Angelo culture towards Native Americans, This has caused a great distrust, anger and conflicting attitudes for the Native American community” (p.1).

Decades of discrimination against the Native American people including the Indian Removal Act, the Trail of Tears, and the Massacre at Wounded Knee has led to a so called “compromise” and the much needed formation of the American Indian Movement to try and keep Native American culture and customs alive. This unfair treatment and discrimination has been fueled by many different people and reasons, but ultimately boils down to the greed and intolerance of the white man. Numerous indian tribes were already living in the United States when the european people settled here. The act of living and existing in nearly complete peace for a great deal of years started its swift decline in the years leading up to 1830, again fueled by greed for land and materials along with intolerance of the indians obliterated any chance of fair treatment, or the two groups living in complete peace again.

American colonists and the Native Americans of North America have had challenges getting along with each other ever since they encountered early in the 17th century. During the American Revolutionary war they were allies but once the white settlers gained freedom, they started to seek more land, which happened to be the land Native Americans occupied. After a long ferocious thirty year war, President Andrew Jackson issued The first annual address to congress, this article fulfills Monroe’s Motivated Sequence, contains bias and assertion which marginalize and silence the voice of Native Americans.

A large portion of America’s victory in World War II is owed to the Navajo Indians, because of their use of code talking. The previous codes used by the United States were either able to be decoded by enemies or they required strenuous coding and decoding on both sides. The Navajo’s language proved to be a tremendously great tool that aided The United States in World War II because it could be decoded quickly, contrary to other coding systems, and because it provided a secure way of communicating, that very few, even on the American side could understand.

The Navajo code talkers are one of the main reasons why the United States conquered Japan and Germany in World War II. During World War II, both Germany and Japan thought that they had such unbreakable codes. But in fact, these codes were broken and their most vital information was released to the enemy. A variety of techniques were used to achieve this goal that the code talkers pursued and overall Code and code breaking during World War II changed the outcome of the war, and helped led the United States to victory.

Many are familiar with the horrifying relationship between the United States government and the Native population. There is a long history of forced relocation, betrayed treaties, forced cultural assimilation, massacres, and that is just the beginning.

In war, Mohawk men used their bows and arrows or fought with clubs, spears and shields. Here is a website with photos of Native American weapons. Other important tools used by the Mohawks included stone adzes (hand axes for woodworking), flint knives for skinning animals, and wooden hoes for

The federal government is in charge of all the Native American affairs but they have failed to live up to the responsibility to help them. At one point in time the Native American population owned 6.1 billion acres of land and that has been decreased all the way down to 50 million acres. In the class article Off the Land it says, “During the fur trade we could make a killing because we were sitting on the greatest concentration of beavers.” This was talking about when they were free to trade and make money and then their way of life was taken from them and they were kicked on to less valuable land with no way of making money. This is a direct quote of how great their life used and how they were able to make money and support their families and community. According to Forbes, “Native American reservations are among the poorest communities in the United States.” The US government has kept them in poverty and managed their lands for a long time.