by Kitcki Carroll, USET/USET SPF Executive Director
Published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch on July 4, 2025
In less than 15 months, on July 4, 2026, we will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the United States of America. In comparison to other nations who have existed for millennia, our American democratic republic experiment is still in its infancy. However, despite our youthfulness, our relevance, both domestically and internationally, has been of consequence.
Yet, as we approach this semi-quincentennial milestone, it is obvious that we have arrived at another profound crossroads along our journey. The challenges facing our nation, while emblematic of our continued maturation process, are concerning. It is imperative that we recognize that the actions, or lack thereof, that we take today will not only impact our future, but will be a measure of whether our democratic republic experiment will continue to mature.
Citizens from nations around the world have the opportunity to exemplify patriotism for their country because by definition, it represents devotion, love and support for one’s country.
From my perspective as a Native American, a central aspect of our American version of patriotism should require an understanding of our complete history and the related principles on which our nation was founded.
This sentiment was the belief expressed by our founders that was intentionally woven into our fabric as a nation. They understood and articulated that “an educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” Their unshakable convictions for this new nation were rooted in a belief that “knowledge will forever govern ignorance,” ”because one cannot be ignorant and free.”
Collectively, “We the People” bear this sacred responsibility. If our experiment is to ultimately be successful in pursuit of its aspirations, it requires prioritization and an expectation that its people be intellectually curious and educated.
This education process, which includes truth seeking, can be uncomfortable as the human condition manifests itself in controversial issues, cognitive dissonance and at times downright repugnant actions, causing the student to grapple with their own stances. For this reason, shying away from the learning process may seem like the easier choice.
However, the opportunity for an informed perspective is a privilege and, more importantly, a requirement if our fragile structure and our pursuit of a more perfect union is to endure.
Recently, alongside Chickahominy Chief Stephen Adkins, I had the opportunity to participate in the VA250 A Common Cause to All convening that was held on the grounds of The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Together, we offered our perspectives about the upcoming America250 commemoration.
As a dual citizen of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and the United States, my views reflected the complexity of Tribal Nation-U.S. relations, including the often absent, harsh history of colonization entrenched in America’s story.
For me, patriotism in its superficial understanding can seem like a betrayal to the story of my people, upon which my existence is rooted. The personal sacrifice to reconcile the conflict is embedded in my DNA, and it requires me to invest time in my education and come to an acceptance that my patriotism is not an approval of atrocities, but a belief in access to a better future through collective and personal action.
Had I not made this investment, I could easily have become moored in the unjust treatment of my people and stifled my patriotic duty and contributions to our shared growth. However, if too many of us choose to take the easier path, society’s fuel for progress disappears and our future becomes uncertain.
Motivation for personal contributions to society is also being suppressed through vehement political divisiveness and rhetoric. By providing a unified and thorough historical framework — the basis from which individual analysis should begin — we can reduce the present-day division spawned from misinformation and historical revisionism.
This pursuit of an educated citizenry is not wokeism, elitism, or something to disparage or fear. Rather, it’s the necessary origin to discovering truths, self-evident and otherwise, that lead us to a shared understanding of our nation’s complete story and our commonalities embedded therein. Reminders of our commonalities in turn create an environment more accepting for when we do differ — the key to respect, kindness and love for one another.
Being an educated citizen is not a partisan matter but symbolic of being a true patriot, or more importantly, a primary concern as a citizen of humanity.
Today, at this juncture that tests our integrity as a nation, when it may seem that the challenges are too great, we must honor this expectation. Instead of blindly following talking heads, or relying on social media feeds that are mere echo chambers, we must accept and own the individual responsibility we possess to conduct independent analysis.
Ignorance, apathy, or sheer laziness must no longer be acceptable societal norms. Rather, we must all choose to expand our knowledge and grow as citizens to better represent the principles and ideals we profess to represent as a nation and as a free people. Alternatively, should we keep making the wrong choice, I fear that our continued ignorance will take us down the path of chaos and anarchy — and ultimately our undoing.
The value of an intellectually curious and educated populace, which the founders wove into America’s infrastructure, must be prioritized immediately and for future generations — if our journey is to be sustained.
With special acknowledgement to Jackie Smith for her contributions.