Ground broken for the Native American Veterans Memorial on National Mall

WASHINGTON, D.C.-Recently, the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian, which sits on the National Mall in Washington, broke ground for construction of the Native American Veterans Memorial. The memorial, named Warrior's Circle of Honor, will be built on the grounds of the museum.

The $15 million memorial will take over a year to construct and is scheduled to be dedicated on Veterans Day 2020.

"The circle is something that is really meaningful to most­- if not all-Native communities in different ways," said Rebecca Trautman, curator of the National Museum of the American Indian. "It represents the cycle of life, the cycle of the season, the cyclical nature of time. It suggests a circular gathering place for storytelling, prayer or ceremony."

"Native American veterans and their contributions to our country have gone unrecognized throughout history. Today, we broke ground on a memorial that will be a place of healing for our warriors and a place of solace to recognize their sacrifices at the National Museum of the American Indian," said U.S. Rep. Deb Haaland (D-N.M. 1st District), a tribal citizen of the Pueblo of Laguna.

The memorial will be built on the grounds of the museum and was commissioned by Congress to give "all Americans the opportunity to learn of the proud and courageous tradition of service of Native Americans in the Armed Forces of the United States."

The memorial design, announced by the museum June 26, 2018, is by Harvey Pratt (Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma), a multimedia artist, retired forensic artist and Marine Corps Vietnam veteran. The design features an elevated stainless steel circle resting on an intricately carved stone drum. It also incorporates water for sacred ceremonies, benches for gatherings and four lances where veterans, family members, tribal leaders and others can tie cloths for prayers and healing.

Since fundraising began, the museum has received numerous donations for the memorial, including the following major gifts: $1 million from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, $1 million from the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, $500,000 from the BNSF Railway Foundation, $500,000 from the Chickasaw Nation and $500,000 from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. A Nov. 8 event celebrating the memorial raised $32,000.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian has raised more than $6 million for the National Native American Veterans Memorial. The museum will raise $15 million for the project, with $8 million going to construction, $4 million for programming and outreach, and $3 million to create an endowment for its long-term maintenance.

Native Veterans are highly regarded for their dedication and commitment to serving in the Armed Services all throughout America's history. American Indian and Alaska Native people serve in the U.S. Armed Services at a higher rate than any other group. According to the 2010 Census, it is estimated that over 150,000 veterans identified as American Indian and Alaska Native alone. The United States Department of Defense estimates that there are currently more than 24,000 active-duty Native service members in the U.S. Armed Forces.