Work began last month on the National Mall to establish a long-sought memorial recognizing the military service of Native Americans – service that many in the United States remain unaware of, according to leaders of the project.
Mashpee Wampanoag tribal members have served and sacrificed honorably for the United States of America in every conflict since the Revolutionary War.
The concept for the National Native American Veterans Memorial originated more than 25 years ago. Lawmakers and Native American groups wanted a public place to honor those who – despite the United States not keeping its commitments to the population – served and sacrificed for their country.
Before the 9/11 terrorist attacks, American Indians served in the military at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Harvey Pratt, designer of the National Native American Veterans Memorial. A jury selected Pratt's design concept from a pool of 120 proposals. Construction of the memorial begins Saturday on the National Mall.
“I don’t think the general public is really aware of that, and I think people are often surprised,” said Rebecca Trautman, curator of the National Museum of the American Indian. “We’re hoping the memorial and the ongoing programming we plan to do around it will help to raise that awareness.”
The memorial, with an estimated cost of $15 million, will be built on the grounds of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. The museum plans to celebrate its groundbreaking Saturday with a ceremony, speeches, a drum circle and other all-day events. A discussion between museum director Kevin Gover and Harvey Pratt, the memorial designer, starts at 2:30 p.m.
The museum is planning a dedication ceremony for the new memorial on Veterans Day in 2020. That will mark 26 years since Congress passed legislation in 1994 that called for the establishment of a memorial to honor Native American veterans.
