July 13, 1917
The Pawhuska Capital
Microfilm Roll: MN00328
On July 12, 1917, The Pawhuska Capital, published a list naming fifty individual donors from the small town of Grayhorse, Oklahoma, all descendants of Osage blood, who contributed a total of $687.50, an amount worth $14,610.80 in today’s dollar value.
American Indians were very involved in the war effort during the First World War. It is estimated that around 12,000 Indian soldiers served during the war; over 200 of whom were Osage tribal members. Although the number of Indians who fought in The Great War is impressive, their home front contributions were also very significant.
One of the ways in which Indians contributed to the war from the home front was through supporting the Red Cross organization. According to Cato Sells, the Commissioner of Indian Affairs from 1913 through 1921, over 30,000 Indian students participated in Red Cross efforts. Employees and students of Indian schools across the nation participated by sewing and making “surgical pads, bed pads, and ambulance pillows” (Camurat). Furthermore, local newspapers, such as The Pawhuska Capital, were filled with advertisements to attract more volunteers. Often times these advertisements included images of women and children, an example of such an advertisement can be seen below.
Aside from volunteering their time, American Indians made great monetary contributions by purchasing of Liberty Bonds. Liberty Bonds were sold by the U. S. government to the general public to help finance the war. In turn, the government promised to repay this money plus interest over a fixed length of time. Liberty Bonds were issued at least three times during the First World War, beginning in April of 1917. By the end of the war, November of 1918, American Indians owned over $25,000,000 dollars in bonds.
Morgan M. Guzman
“Osages Doing their Part.” The Pawhuska Capital. July 13, 1917, p. 1. Microfilm roll number MN00328. Sequoyah National Research Center, Little Rock, Arkansas.
Further Reading
Alchin, Linda. “Liberty Bonds.” http://www.american-historama.org/1913-1928-ww1-prohibition-era/liberty-bonds.htm. Accessed February 9, 2018.
Camurat, Diane. “The American Indian in the Great War: Real and Imagined.” https://net.lib.byu.edu/~rdh7/wwi/comment/Cmrts/Cmrt6.html. Accessed February 9, 2018.
“Wah-Zha-Zhi Code Talkers.” Osage Nation. https://www.osagenation-nsn.gov/news-events/news/wah-zha-zhi-code-talkers, Accessed February 8, 2018.
Whisenhunt, William B., “Cato Sells: A Texan as Commissioner of Indian Affairs.” East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. 32: Iss. 2, 1994.
“World War I” National Museum of the American Indian, http://nmai.si.edu/static/patriot-nations/world-wars.html. Accessed February 9, 2018.
