Members of the Iroquois Post #1587 Along with Over 1,500 Native Veterans Participate in Dedication Ceremony
November 11, 2022 | nationalreview.com | nativenewsonline.net
Photo: Veterans representing the Seneca Nation American Legion march near the U.S. Capitol during the National Native American Veterans Memorial dedication march along the National Mall on Veterans Day in Washington, D.C., November 11, 2022. Photo credit: Tom Brenner/Reuters nationalreview.com
WASHINGTON — For over 1,500 American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian veterans who were on hand for the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Friday, November 11, 2022, it is one Veterans Day they will remember for the rest of their lives.
The National Museum of the American Indian hosted a grand procession and ceremony for the dedication of the National Native American Veterans Memorial. The 1,500 Native veterans participated in a grand procession through the National Mall along with members of the Iroquois Post #1587, accepted an invitation from Washington to participate in the ceremony.
The event was co-emceed by Retired Captain of the U.S. Navy John Herrington (Chickasaw), the first Native American astronaut to go into space, and Retired Sergeant of the U.S. Army Wes Studi (Cherokee), who is an Academy Award-winner. Studi served 12 months in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged by the U.S. Army in 1969.
The National Native Americans Veterans Memorial’s design is an elevated stainless-steel circle balanced on a carved stone drum on the campus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The design was created by Harvey Pratt, a Vietnam War veteran and Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma citizen. The design incorporates water for ceremonies, benches for gathering and reflection, and four lances where people can tie prayer cloths for offerings and reflection.
The memorial honors Native American veterans and their families, and educates the public about their extraordinary contributions. The memorial is the first national landmark in the nation’s capital to commemorate the military contributions of American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians. According to the Smithsonian, Native Americans’ service in the United States military began at the Revolutionary War, in 1775.
The afternoon dedication included various presenters, including Congresswoman Sharice Davids (Ho-Chunk Nation), Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch III, former National Congress of American Indians president Jefferson Keel (Chickasaw), and several others in the federal government and various branches of the military.
The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian curated a weekend of events on Saturday and Sunday including music, film, food, and celebration at the museum.
Sources:
