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WPT's "Way of the Warrior" documentary will be broadcast nationally in November

Among the doughboys who fought in World War I were 12,000 Native Americans. As soldiers they swore to protect the U.S. Constitution even though, at the time, many of them were not citizens. One of those soldiers was Edward DeNomie, grandfather of Patty Loew, a producer for Wisconsin Public Television (WPT) and member of the Bad River Band of Ojibwe.

Understanding a paradox

The legacy of DeNomie and thousands of other Native men and women raises a paradox. Why, in the 20th century, did Native Americans join the U.S. military in percentages greater than any other group? Understanding that paradox is what motivated Loew to produce "Way of the Warrior," a one-hour television documentary that will be seen nationwide on PBS stations in November.

Native American perspectives

Using firsthand interviews and accounts from comrades and loved ones, the stories are told against the backdrop of positive and negative themes familiar to Native Americans: the warrior ethic, prejudice, forced assimilation, poverty, cultural pride, and redemptive acts and healing.

Powerful family connections

"I never intended to get genealogical in this documentary," Loew told Wisconsin People & Ideas, the magazine of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. "It was almost as if my late grandfather had a hand on my shoulder during this project." She had photographs and audio interviews of her grandfather. A cousin gave her a diary her grandfather kept while serving in France. Most surprising was rare film footage from the National Archives that showed Edward DeNomie and another soldier in close-up.

"What are the odds?," Loew remarks. "It wasn't so much spooky as it was compelling. I believe my grandfather really wanted this story told."

Keeping tribal stories and traditions alive

To tell the story, Loew, who is also an associate professor of life sciences communications at the UW-Madison College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, turned to some with firsthand experiences, including Phil Coon (Creek), a survivor of the Bataan Death March during World War II; Jim Northrup (Fond du Lac Anishinaabe), a combat Marine in Vietnam; and John Yahola (Creek), a member of the Red Stick Warrior Society.

Why did Native Americans fight? Some said they fought because of clan obligations. Others were driven by patriotism to the United States. Still others said it was a way to prove themselves as warriors and keep tribal traditions alive.

Funding partners

"Way of the Warrior" was produced by Wisconsin Public Television and presented by Native American Public Telecommunications. Funding was provided in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Broadcast schedule

Wisconsin Public Television
Monday, Nov. 5, at 8 p.m.

Milwaukee Public Television
Thursday, Nov. 8, at 9 p.m.

For more information:
www.wpt.org

Patricia Loew
Associate Professor
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
UW-Madison
(608) 262-0654
paloew@wisc.edu

Producer Patty Loew discussed the "Way of the Warrior" on "To the Best of Our Knowledge," a nationally distributed audio magazine produced by Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR). Listen to the interview with WPR's Anne Strainchamps at www.wpr.org/book/070701a.html.

By Michael Bridgeman, director of promotion and design, Wisconsin Public Television