It's been interesting to hear a variety of references to veterans over the last few weeks of being here. On Labor Day, someone drove through town and placed American flags at every corner. There are American flags in every church that I've been in and what appears to be significant "American" pride. On the one radio station on the reservation, KILI Radio, they talked one day about how every person on the reservation is either a veteran or related directly to one. With 32,000 people or so, that's an awful lot of veterans!
When I ask people why there is such American pride, the common answer seems to be that it's about protecting the land, not the country, but the land itself. Someone even stated that it's part of the Warrior mentality to protect and care for the land, so men still embody that mentality.
I've always struggled with understanding our armed forces and those who serve in them. I want to offer my utmost respect for their work, but as a pacifist, I struggle. I'm not sure that I feel any better about Lakota veterans, but I appreciate that their calling to the military is about stewardship, really.
Not much to say about this, but figured I'd throw it out there. Peace.
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