The Militarization of Indian Country

111 Pages·2013·3.681 MB·English

by  Winona LaDuke, Sean Aaron Cruz

The Militarization
of
Indian Country
makwa
enewed
Makwa Enewed is a sub-imprint of the American Indian Studies Series, at Michigan State
University Press.
Gordon Henry, Series Editor
Makwa Enewed stands dedicated to books that encompass the varied views and perspectives
of people working in American Indian communities. In that light, books published under the
Makwa Enewed imprint rely less on formal academic critique, argument, methodology, and
research conventions and more on experientially grounded views and perspectives on issues,
activities and developments in Indian Country.
While work published in Makwa Enewed may resound with certain personal, speculative,
conversational, political and/or social concerns of individuals and groups of individual
American Indian people, in a larger sense such concerns and their delivery reflects the
import, strength, uniqueness, and potential viability of the imprint.
The imprint will gather its strength from the voices of tribal leaders, community activists, and
socially engaged Native people. Thus, each publication under the Makwa Enewed imprint will
call forth from tribally based people and places, reminding readers of the varied beliefs and
pressing interests of American Indian tribal people and communities.
The Militarization
of
Indian Country
W L D
inona a uke
with
S a C
ean aron ruz
Makwa Enewed
East Lansing
Copyright © 2012 by Winona LaDuke
∞ The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of
ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (R 1997) (Permanence of Paper).
Michigan State University Press
East Lansing, Michigan 48823-5245
Printed and bound in the United States of America.
18 17 16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
LaDuke, Winona.
The militarization of Indian country / Winona LaDuke with Sean Aaron Cruz.
p. cm. — (Makwa Enewed)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-938065-00-2 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Indians of North America—Land tenure. 2. Indians of North America—Government
relations. 3. Indians of North America—Politics and government. 4. Indigenous peoples—
Ecology—United States. 5. Military-industrial complex—United States. 6. Defense
industries—United States. 7. Environmental policy—United States. 8. Environmental
protection—United States. I. Cruz, Sean Aaron. II. Title.
E98.L3L345 2012
970.004'’97—dc23
2012012219
Ebook ISBN 978-1-60917-377-7
Cover art by Bunky Echo-Hawk
Cover and book design by Kevin Brown, Smart Set, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Michigan State University Press is a member of the Green Press Initiative and is committed to
developing and encouraging ecologically responsible publishing practices. For more informa-
tion about the Green Press Initiative and the use of recycled paper in book publishing, please
visit www.greenpressinitiative.org.
Visit Michigan State University Press at www.msupress.org
This book is dedicated to three Ogichidaag
who are no longer in this world: Joseph Sanchez and Corbin Harney,
who were both Western Shoshone “downwinders” from the
Nevada Nuclear Test site and my father,
Vincent Eugene LaDuke, a Korean War Resister.
They inspired this book in their lives
and in their passing.

Contents
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ix
FOREWORD BY CORNEL PEWEWARDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .xi
PREFACE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv
I . THE MILITARY AND THE PEOPLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
II . THE MILITARY AND THE ECONOMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
III . THE MILITARY AND THE LAND . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
IV . THE MILITARY AND THE FUTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
LEARN MORE ABOUT MILITARY IMPACTS ON NATIVE AMERICA . . 85
NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Vincent LaDuke with daughter Winona
Acknowledgments
This book would not have been possible without a good number of friends
and researchers. First, I want to acknowledge my staff and research associ-
ates at Honor the Earth: Tom Reed, Nellis Kennedy-Howard, Faye Brown
and Luke Warner. Those who rose to the occasion to find obscure facts for
us include Andrea Keller, Kai Bosworth, Kelly Morgan, Margaret Campbell
and Caitlin Sislin. I also want to thank Frank Buffalo Hyde for his inspi-
rational writing and life, and John Redhouse and Glen Morris for further
guiding this writing and research. These individuals and other friends sent
in notes to me and helped frame the writing and the stories. I also want
to thank the many artists, curators and photographers who have donated
their work or helped me locate art: Betty LaDuke, Joe Horse Capture, Sheryl
Day, John Fadden, the family of Billy Walkabout, Jim Northrup, Monte
Singer, Dick Bancroft, Jack Mallotte and many more. I must thank Mortimer
Cushman for a place to write, and his unending kindness. And, my editor
and new friend, Sean Aaron Cruz, who saw me through the writer’s block
and helped illuminate my voice in the face of all of these stories and facts.
Finally, I want to issue a special miigwech to those foundations that helped
make this project possible: Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, Peace Development
Fund, Hill Snowdon Foundation and Samuel Rubin Foundation. Thank you
so much for your support.