“To proclaim liberty to the captive, the opening of the prison to those who are bound, and freedom to all those who are oppressed.” (Is. 61:1)
While a great many correlations can be drawn between the Indigenous societies of The New World and the development of The United States of America, it is through its use of Native American symbolism that we begin to see a deeper connection. And, while many might consider that a rather tenuous argument, it becomes clearer for example when we consider The Great Seal of the United States. Although it depicts an eagle with an olive branch in its right talons (a nod to classical Greece and perhaps The Enlightenment), in its left it grasps a war bundle of thirteen arrows. Yet, in spite of its symbolic intention of representing the unified strength and resolve of the original American colonies, it also begs the question — why arrows when muskets would be more descriptive of “the shot heard round the world”? By the same token, our lingering fascination with Native American iconography can be clearly seen in the naming of sports teams and weapons of war, such as Comanche and Kiowa helicopters or Tomahawk missiles for instance.
Writing that off simply to cultural appropriation misses the point entirely, as this country’s foundational association with Native American runs much deeper than many would believe. For example, the Iroquois Confederacy and their Great Law of Peace, or the Haudenasaunee, which is believed to have been formulated as early as 1142, served as a prototype for our US Constitution. In acknowledgement of that historical fact, the US Senate passed a formal resolution in 1998, stating: “The confederation of the original thirteen colonies into a republic was influenced by the political system of the Iroquois Confederacy, as were many of the democratic principles which were incorporated into the Constitution itself.” (Native Voices, 2018).
Yet, perhaps an even better case can be made by noting the historical cooperation that took place between Native combatants and American colonial forces prior to and during The Revolutionary War. For example, it may be worth noting that the US Special Forces had an altogether different origin than that of our conventional forces. In 1676, during the outbreak of King Phillips War, “Governor Winslow of Plymouth Colony granted Captain Benjamin Church permission to form a company made up of English soldiers and Christianized Indian forces trained in the so-called ‘skulking way of war’. These unconventional troops would ultimately have a decisive impact on the conflict, and constituted the first use of indigenous forces by an American unit in a direct capacity–now a key part of special operation techniques.” (HISTORY, 1/13/2016) In addition, “Native Americans have continued to serve in the United States Armed Forces at five times the national average, having participated in every major conflict for more than 200 years. Of the more than 42,000 Native Americans who served in the Vietnam War, 90% of them were volunteers, yet with some tribal nations providing more that 70% of their entire male population.” (DeSiome 2021, originally published by USO.org 2020)
Having said that, it is by virtue of our SOF (Special Operations Forces) and their modus operandi —“De oppresso liber“ (to liberate the oppressed), with its symbol of crossed arrows and dagger, that we begin to see the Indigenous roots of American idealism when it comes to war. Interestingly, if not ironically, we can draw parallels between the mission statement of Jesus himself. — “…To proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison doors to those who are yet bound….” (Isaiah 61:1-2). In either case there remains not only an inherent moral component, but a spiritual connotation when it comes to freeing others from oppression. And, as to those who still subscribe to the use of force in defense of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” we lift the war lance in salute to those who’ve given their all in holding that higher ground. “Anything worth living for, is worth fighting for, and if worth fighting for, then dying for!“
CoupStick Chaplain 