Native Americans in WW2

Although their relationship with the United States had a fraught history, many Native Americans answered the call of duty during World War ll. There were several reasons for this, not least of which was the impulse to protect one's people from a common enemy. The participation of Native Americans in World War ll would have a lasting effect on the indigenous population that would reverberate well into the twentieth century, affecting their relationship with the government, reservation populations, the honoring of treaties, and the preservation of land. Let's go into more detail in this explanation about Native Americans (also referred to here as indigenous people) in the era of World World War ll and post-World War ll.

Role of Native Americans in World War ll

Participation of Native Americans in World War ll was crucial to the war effort, and they played a wide variety of roles both on the battleground and behind the front lines. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, enlistment increased exponentially.

In total, 44,000 people out of a population of 400,000 served in active duty. That's between five and ten percent of the Native American population. All told, 20 percent of the Native population made the war effort in one way or another, with many not on active duty taking industrial or agricultural jobs.

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, symbolic gestures such as the deletion of the swastika–which had previously been popular among some tribes–became abundantly clear when the antisemitic connotations of its German use. Native Americans also bought 50 million dollars in war bonds during this time.

Fig. 1 - Navajo Indians, Public Domain

Native American Women's Contribution to World War ll

Of the 40,000 Native Americans who served in the War, nearly 800 were women. Many of them served as WACs (the Women's Army Corps) and for the marines as WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service).

These women joined the war effort for reasons similar to those of Native American men: to protect the lands of the United States and those of their ancestral tribes and to win the War. The women also wanted to take advantage of many opportunities they had never had before. It also allowed many to escape poverty, receiving food, shelter, and clothing.

The women also worked in far-flung cities of the U.S. on assembly lines, in factories, as welders, in machine shops, and even in aircraft and defense plants. On the reservations, they worked in sawmills, drove trucks, and even learned how to shoot rifles as part of domestic defense training.

Women from all tribes were represented, including Menominee, Pueblo, and Ojibwa tribes.

Importance of Native Americans in WWll

Fig. 2- Dachau from the Air, Public Domain

Code Talkers

Code Talkers were Native American soldiers deployed overseas to speak in code using their tribal languages. Over 20 tribes were recruited for this purpose. The very first Code Talkers were used during World War l in 1918. They made a lasting impression while serving to defeat the Germans, who found their codes to be unbreakable.

In the Second World War, 534 marines were recruited as code Talkers in the Pacific theater, where they spoke the Navajo language. In Europe, Comanche Code talkers participated in D-Day at Normandy and were instrumental in campaigns against the Third Reich in Germany.

Fig. 3 - Macarthur with Native American units, Public Domain

Discrimination Towards Native Americans during World War ll

Despite the patriotism elicited in many Native Americans by the attacks on Pearl Harbor in 1941, their lands were exploited at the hands of Indian Commissioner John Collier, who enabled access to coal, gas, oil, and tribal, and grazing lands via leases. The leases were also used to end the housing of Japanese interned during the War. Two facilities in Arizona housed a total of approximately 30,000 Japanese prisoners. Promised upgrades to the Native lands were never delivered, and purpose-built structures were torn down after the War. Furthermore, Native Americans were displaced from their lands and put into internment camps themselves.

Native Americans Post-World War ll

One beneficial change brought about by the War was the formation of the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) which took up the mantle of social change for the Native population post-war. Their goals were to legally end discrimination and segregation, establish sovereignty and voting rights, and ensure coverage under the G.I. Bill.

Impact of World War ll on Native Americans

The Second World War greatly impacted Native Americans regarding integration and their attitudes about the future of their existence in the U.S. As they had now proven their mettle in answering the call of Uncle Sam to defend life, limb, and country, there was now a tremendous sense of optimism and great expectations for post-war relations with the government.

Native American leaders now hoped that prior agreements would be honored by the U.S. government. New penalties would be issued for violating past treaties with the American government. Mass exodus from reservations after the War meant the eradication of social boundaries and greater visibility of the indigenous community and hence greater awareness of Native American issues.