[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’][/author_image] [author_info]by Lauren Moye, BPC Managing Editor[/author_info] [/author]
“Patriot Nations: Native Americans in our Armed Forces” – a traveling exhibition currently on display in Fountain-New Library – explores the history of American Indians in United States military conflicts. The exhibition shares over 250 years of history through sixteen different panels of art, photographs, and essays.
While many people are familiar with the use of Navajos as code talkers during World War II due to the movie “Windtalker”, the military contributions of Native people go well beyond that. “Patriot Nations” highlights important details of our history that is often missed in traditional textbooks. Because Native people enlist in U.S. military branches at a higher percentage than any other ethnic group, they have played important roles in every major U.S. military conflict from the Revolutionary War to the World Wars to modern day conflicts in the Middle East. Native Americans have been recipients of the Purple Heart, honorees of the Bronze Star, and distinguished by the highest military award, the Congressional Medal of Honor.
“Patriot Nations” will be hosted by Fountain-New Library until March 30, 2018. Fountain-New Library can be found on the main campus of Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon, GA.
Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our Nation’s Armed Forces was produced by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The exhibition was made possible by the generous support of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians.