Not one, but all served voluntarily

The National Indian Education Association (NIEA) is embarking on an ambitious nation-wide project – recording and sharing the stories of contemporary Native American Veterans via curriculum which they hope will be used in schools across America.

“The stories and contributions of Native Veterans are known in history books,” said Judy Urquehart, NIEA education specialist who is the lead contact person of the project under the direction off Dr. Casie Wise.  “We are hoping that these unique stories will be widely incorporated into Native American studies, American history and social science classes. It is often said that Native Americans have the highest voluntary enlistment of any ethnic group in America and this project will put faces and personal stories behind that.”

The project is funded by an $850,000 grant from the Administration for Native Americans for a three-years.  Dr. Shane Doyle, Crow/Winnebago, raised on the Crow Reservation, MT is the person ‘on the ground” conducting the interviews and developing the curriculum. He has worked with the University of Montana, Montana State University and the Montana Office of Public Instruction (OPI) developing curriculum to implement the unique legislatively mandated “Indian Education for All” act’. He will conduct interviews gaining video footage of veterans, including from families of those deceased as key research material.  The project will focus on living veterans from WW11 to the present and the interviews can include a family record of service as well. “We want to hear and document their voices while they are still with his,” he commented.

Doyle also recently completed curriculum for the National Native American Hall of Fame, featuring the contributions of contemporary Native Americans. “He is so good, we’d like to steal him away and keep him to ourselves,” said James Parker Shield, CEO of that institution.

A first project goal is to interview 120 veterans from Montana and develop 120 corresponding lesson plans. Later in the project training will be provided at no cost to educators on how to use the computer-based training. Participating veterans will also receive a stipend of $100. In future years, the project will hopefully expand to other reservations

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell will be one of the Northern Cheyenne to be interviewed for the NIEA project. He mentioned that the National Museum of the American Indian, DC has worked on similar projects and that his good friend, Herman Viola, a distinguished author of many native-themed books recently published a book including several such Veteran stories.   “Maybe all of these efforts can work in tandem and complement each other,” he hopes.

The project, in its first few months of implementation due to COVID 19 delays will begin on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in cooperation with Chief Dull Knife College (CDKC). Notable veterans have been identified there and the college will assist NIEA by providing outreach and facilities for filming.  Mina Seminole, CDKC historical researcher has been assigned the task of assisting NIEA. A first visit and hopefully vide-taping session will be held at CDKC in July which Urquehart and Professor Wise plan to personally attend. Videos, however, can be conducted remotely through ZOOM or other modern technological tools.

CDKC has previously interviewed and video-taped many Northern Cheyenne Veterans and those records will be immensely helpful to the NIEA effort. In addition, the project works closely with Mike Jetty, Salish Kootenai tribal member, Education Specialist for the Montana OPI and the Montana Association for Continuing Indian Education.

“Because of the legislative mandate of Indian Education for All, Montana is more progressive than many states in this area,” Urquehart noted.  “That’s why is makes sense to start with Montana, but we have the goals of expanding across Indian Country, including Alaska.”

NIEA welcomes participation from Native Veterans across Indian country, including posthumous stories which can be shared by family members and illustrated by photos.  They welcome any Veterans who may have an interest in participating to contact Judy Urquehart at the following email address: jurgquehart@niea.org. They are particularly needing to identify Veterans advocates on reservations to help organize interview efforts.  Clara Caufield can be reached at acheyennevoice@gmail.com.

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