A UW-Madison professor and veteran television journalist produced a TV documentary on American Indian personal war stories that will air nationally on PBS Nov. 1.
Patty Loew, an associate professor in life sciences and communication, produced the one-hour special, Way of the Warrior,"" which incorporates historical footage, primary documents and interviews with veterans and their families about stories of American Indian soldiers who fought in wars ranging from World War I to Vietnam.
""In the documentary, Loew talks about how in the 20th century Native Americans joined the U.S. military in percentages greater than any other group,"" said Michael Bridgeman, publicist for Wisconsin Public Television.
Loew's grandfather Edward DeNomie, one of her initial inspirations for the documentary, was one of 12,000 American Indians who volunteered for World War I.
""He had no protections under the Constitution,"" Bridgeman said.
He said Loew's documentary looks at what motivated American Indians to fight for a country that did not consider them American citizens.
In addition, the documentary focuses on the American Indian cultural healing process for returning veterans.
Loew talks about numerous ceremonies and rituals that communities perform, such as washing a veteran's hair in yucca leaf, giving the veterans new names or holding dances exclusively for veterans.
""For me, having explored how American Indians re-integrate their veterans, I think there is something we can learn from and incorporate into our mainstream culture,"" Loew said.
She said the more time she spent studying the culture, the more she knew that American Indians' voluntary decisions to join the military were not just about economic issues or blood-thirsty passion.
She also said the more questions she asked, the more she was convinced there was a great documentary topic brewing before her.
Loew said she had been playing with the idea of the documentary for a cumulative span of about 20 years, but formally started working on the project with Wisconsin Public Television four years ago.
Bridgeman said although WPT has had other programs accepted by PBS in the past, Loew's documentary is appealing because it is a topic not frequently covered.
""I am unaware of any other program that has taken this particular focus,"" he said.
PBS will air ""War of the Warrior"" Nov. 1 at 8 p.m. and WPT will air the special Nov. 5 at 8 p.m.
