After the war, many expected the United States to reward their service by extending citizenship to all Native people and by respecting tribal lands and autonomy. Congress granted citizenship in 1924, but Native people would have to fight in other American wars before the federal government adopted a policy of tribal self-determination. [americanindian.si.edu/static/why-we-serve/topics/world-war-1/] Indigenous people fought during World War I to demonstrate their patriotism, prove themselves in battle, and defend democracy in Europe. The Native Americans played a major role in WW1. They used their own language that no one else knew but them at the time really, to communicate secret order back and forth without it ever getting decoded. THey were on the front lines with our other soldiers fighting and dying for this country just like any other US citizen. This one proud act of valor alone should have given them rights and the right to self-govern their own lands. Yes, they should still have to follow our laws and stuff but still get to make their own laws within their lands. Over 12,000 Native Americans served in WWI; 6000 volunteers, 6500 drafted (citizens and non-citizens who waived draft exemption. 10,000 volunteered with the Red Cross; thousands of others contributed to the war effort at home. The Oneida and Onondaga (Haudenosaunee/ Iroquois Confederacy) declared war on Germany separately as an assertion of sovereignty. Here are some facts why the natives decided to join the war effort, Pursuit of Civil Rights (recognition of sovereignty, access to citizenship) Preconditioning to military service in boarding schools (90% of eligible students volunteered) There was also substantial opposition and resistance to the war; local anti-war demonstrations, draft dodging, resisting conscription (using exemption status), and public anti-war writings. Involved the general use of the Choctaw language as well as new codes for specific military terms, tanks> luksi (a tortoise) The Choctaw Code talkers were extremely effective and strategically shifted the offensive in favor of the Allies and ended the stalemate, even helped bring about the armistice to end the war. Through all this information you would think that the US would have given them their rights and recognized them as true citizens of the US sooner.