More than 1,500 Native American veterans from 125 tribes attended the COVID-delayed opening ceremony of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., Friday, Axios reported.
The memorial, which opened during the COVID-19 pandemic in November 2020, is located on the grounds of the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian and is a tribute to the military service of Native Americans, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiian veterans, and their families, according to the memorial's website.
"The dedication of this memorial is an opportunity to gather and reflect on the extraordinary service and sacrifice of Native veterans and their families," Cynthia Chavez Lamar (San Felipe Pueblo, Hopi, Tewa and Navajo), the museum's director, said in a Nov. 1 press release announcing Friday's procession and dedication ceremony.
"I hope everyone will join us for this momentous occasion, so together we can offer them our thanks for their contributions to our country."
The Veterans Day procession from the memorial to the dedication ceremony at the U.S. Capitol is part of a weekend full of events to honor its official opening, and included films, demonstrations and discussions, according to the organization.
Designed by Harvey Pratt, who is a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes in Oklahoma, the design features "an elevated steel stainless steel circle resting on a carved stone drum," as well as incorporating water for ceremonies and benches for gatherings, the organization said on the site.
It was commissioned by Congress to provide "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."
According to Axios, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) estimates more than 140,000 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans currently live in the country.
"This is Indian country, regardless of who says they own it. It will be Indian country forever, in my mind," Pratt, who served in Vietnam, told NPR. "And a lot of Indians think the same way. Their blood is spilt all over this land, and we have spilt Native American blood all over this Earth defending this land and we will continue to defend it."
According to the VA, Native Americans serve at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, and have higher rates of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and mental depressive disorder.
The agency said that almost 75% of service-connected American Indians and Alaska Natives use the VA's healthcare.
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