Film probes history of Native Americans in the US military

FILE - In this March 23, 2005, file photo, a portrait of U.S. Army Spc. Lori Piestewa, is shown behind her father, Terry Piestewa, right, and her son, Brandon Piestewa, at a sunrise ceremony in Phoenix. Lori Piestewa, a member of the Hopi Tribe and a single mother of two, is believed to be the first American Indian woman killed while fighting for the U.S. military. "The Warrior Tradition," a new film set to air on most PBS stations Monday, Nov. 11, 2019, examines the history of Native Americans in the U.S. military since World War I. (AP Photo/Matt York)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — A new PBS film, “The Warrior Tradition,” seeks to examine the history of Native Americans in the U.S. military since World War I.

Through interviews with veterans, the documentary shows how Native American veterans transformed the life for tribal members and used their service to expand civil rights.

The film illustrates the mixed feelings some Native Americans felt toward the U.S. military and how tribal members embraced those who served as “warriors.”

Director Larry Hott says the Native American veterans in the film believed military service was part of their family history and wasn’t just about a way to escape poverty.

The one-hour documentary co-produced by WNED-TV Buffalo Toronto and Florentine Films/Hott Productions, Inc., is scheduled to air on most PBS stations Monday.

Russell Contreras, The Associated Press