American Flag in Plains Tribes’ Art | The Art of Marlena Myles

I used to be one of those people who hated seeing the American flag at powwows on reservations.

Then I read a scholarly report about the American flag imagery throughout Native art and cultures for the Plains tribes. It helped me understand the meaning from Native peoples perspective throughout history.

The first encounters, tribes saw it as having a mysterious power to it (Wakan), which they associated with many of the new things Europeans brought with them as gifts to tribes.  Later, as battles for land began to happen, Native people would adorn their clothing as a sign they didn’t want trouble with Americans. They also would sell tourist items for additional income and the American flag image would help sell the items. And to mask the traditional celebrations, Plains tribes would have their ceremonies and pretend they were 4th of July parties during the early-reservation era (Native religions were outlaws until 1978).

And even today, Native people join the American military, despite the history of it attacking tribes, as a way to follow the traditions of gaining honor through military accomplishments. Native people have the highest military enrollment in relation to the population of any ethnic group in the US.

So when I see the American flag now at powwows and other events on reservations, I realize there’s a long history and meaning behind its use in Native cultures.