On October 28th, 2022, new stamps will be issued to honor the war service of Tommy Prince. Prince, who was part of the Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, fought in World War Two and the Korean War, making him one of the most decorated First Nations veterans in Canadian History. Although Prince’s honoring is well deserved, my question is if the stamp is the best way to honor his service and dedication to our country. Postage stamps are becoming obsolete with the technologically advancing world. Emails, faxes, and texts are simply an easier, faster, and cheaper way to communicate and share information. In fact, all regular stamps without a barcode are expiring this January (2023). Society needs to find a new and upcoming way to honor our great ones. A postage stamp is becoming a thing of the past and we as a society need to be cautious that we are not suggesting that Indigenous culture is becoming a thing of the past. Zitkala-Sa touches base about assimilation in her novel American Indian Stories, Legends, and Other Writings. In “The Great Spirit,” the reader sees insight to the negative experiences and consequences of forcing another culture onto a group or individual person. Humans who give up the belief in the great spirit and convert to Christianity are dehumanized in this story because they are losing their true identity. This ties into the fact that the Indigenous culture has always been wiped out through eurocentric ways. Zitkala-Sa depicts in all of her stories the obvious and that is the fact that that Indigenous voice has not been heard loud enough. With this, it has been years since Prince’s service and he is just recently being recognized for his sacrifices. Prince deserves to be identified with more than a postage stamp that will become outdated in society. Whether it is a banner, statue, etc. we need to make sure that the Indigenous voice that Zitkala-Sa has worked so hard to bring out stays loud and proud in ways that will not be obsolete in time.

References

Bonnin, G. (2003). American Indian stories, legends, and other writings. Penguin Classics
CTV News. (2022, October 17). New stamp honours Stg. Tommy Prince. https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/new-stamp-to-honour-sgt-tommy-prince-1.6112236