ONLINE: Warrior Spirit – The Story of Native American Patriotism and Heroism
Join us in commemorating Native American Heritage Month with Dr. Herman Viola, as he shares his journey to create the amazing new education initiative, the Warrior Spirit Project. Dr. Viola will tell the story of how he became interested in documenting the largely unknown story of Native American military service, beginning with launching an internship program at the Smithsonian in 1973.
A presentation on his book, “Warriors in Uniform,” inspired educators to develop a program for students focused on sharing the history of Native American military service and patriotism.
The Warrior Spirit Project is an initiative for K-12 students, though all are invited to join this virtual presentation to learn more about the history of Native Americans in the military, and what is being done to preserve and honor that history. Partners for the Warrior Spirit Project include the Library of Congress and the National Indian Education Association. This program will also feature Colorado educator and project co-chair Cheryl Hughes to discuss the project’s development.
Dr. Herman J. Viola is a curator emeritus at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. He is the author of “Warriors in Uniform,” and the senior advisor for the National Native American Veterans Memorial that was dedicated on Veterans Day 2020. Dr. Viola has also authored “Warrior Spirit: The Story of Native American Patriotism and Heroism” to be published in March 2022 by the Oklahoma University Press.
All of the Virginia War Memorial’s livestreams are free and open to the public, though registration is required. Register early, as there is limited space to listen live.
Previously broadcast and recorded programs are available at vawarmemorial.org/learn/livestreams.
Contact Assistant Director of Education Morgan Guyer (morgan.guyer@dvs.virginia.gov) with any questions or issues with registration.
