By Erasmus Baxter
On February 27, 1973 over 200 members of the Oglala Sioux and the American Indian Movement seized the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. They were protesting corruption in the Oglala tribal government and the failure of the US government to fulfill treaty obligations. In response, the federal government surrounded the town with armed agents.
During the siege, two Native Americans were killed and an FBI officer was paralyzed. Buoying the ranks and military capabilities of the occupiers were Native American veterans of the Vietnam war who now found themselves in an awkward situation. They were fighting for their rights against the government that they once served.
Native American people have disproportionately served in the American military. Per-capita, more Native Americans have served in the United States Military than any other ethnic group. Their story is one that has received little attention. Serving a country that systematically oppresses their people is just one of the many issues that Native Veterans face.
This conflict is one of the issues touched on in “Hunting in Wartime”, a documentary profiling Native American Vietnam War veterans from Hoonah, Alaska. The documentary also delves into the realities faced by any soldier: surviving trauma and readjusting to civilian life. By speaking to veterans of the Vietnam War it provides a longitudinal look at the impact war has, decades after the war has ended.
Released in 2013, “Hunting in Wartime” took around 5 years to make, and has received several awards including the James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism. It has only had limited screening since being released, making this a unique opportunity to see it.
The documentary is being hosted as part of the Institute for Global Engagement’s Reel World film series. Once a month the series pays for a movie requested by a professor to be brought to campus and screened. After the movie, a professor will host a discussion on the film.
On February 1, the film series will host “A Single Frame”, and on March 1 they will host “Girlhood”. “A Single Frame” is a documentary about a man who finds a photo of a child refugee from the war in Kosovo. It follows his journey from the United States to the Balkans as he attempts to discover what happened to the boy. “Girlhood” is a French language film with English subtitles. It is a coming of age tale set in a Parisian neighborhood. Trailers and more info about the movies are available at: http://international.wwu.edu/reelworld/
“Hunting in Wartime” is showing on January 11, at 6 pm in Miller Hall 138. The running time is 65 minutes, followed by a moderated discussion.