"Flags"

​... Analyzing Tommy Orange's There There

Orange's reference to "flags" helps illustrate the non-Native peoples' patriotism, who literally flew Native bodies on poles like flags. 

Today, American Indian Nations have adopted the idea of flying flags and forming U.S. type governments.   

The video below is of a young student named Peter, who offers his choices for "Top 10 Native American Flags." There are countless flags of Native Americans, including in flags of Canada and the Americas Indigenous Peoples.  

​​Today, the U.S. Government only federally recognizes 574 tribal Sovereign Nations. These 

nations are within, but separate from the United States and the U.S. states, with the right to govern themselves.

The U.S. government forced Tribal Nations to adopt constitutions and form recognizable local Tribal governments in order to receive federal recognition.

​Unfortunately, the U.S. government does not recognize countless Native American individuals, communities, bands, tribes, and nations recognized for various reasons, including the U.S. Indian Termination Policy of 1953.

Three members of the Native American Women Warriors post the colors inside Bob Jones Auditorium at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, during the National American Indian Heritage Month observance there Nov. 13, 2019. From left: Army veteran Keshon Smith; Marine Corps veteran Carrie Lewis; and Army veteran Mitchelene BigMan, president and founder of NAWW. The observance was organized by Huntsville Center’s Equal Employment Opportunity office in coordination with Team Redstone and the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command. The Native American Women Warriors are an all-female group of Native American veterans who started as a color guard but have since grown and branched out as advocates for Native American women veterans in areas such as health, education and employment. The members make appearances at various events around the country, serving as motivational and keynote speakers, performing tribal dances, and fulfilling the role of color guard representing all branches of the U.S. military. (DVIDS)

Flag Songs

Many tribes even have their own national anthems known as flag songs that focus on veterans. They’re popular among Plains tribes from which the modern powwow originated, said Dennis Zotigh of the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Powwows are social gatherings, generally with competitive dancing.​​

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Other tribes including the Lumbee, Eastern Cherokee, Mohegan and Pequot on the East Coast, and Cochiti, Jemez and Taos pueblos in the Southwest also composed their own flag songs, telling their stories and admiration for the U.S. flag, Zotigh said.
      - Military Times​

Work Cited
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2017/11/25/to-native-americans-honoring-flag-might-mean-a-different-anthem/
https://nara.getarchive.net/media/three-members-of-the-native-american-women-warriors-5c1953
https://youtu.be/xJmnPHfUaLw

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