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Dear Editor:
The nation’s newest memorial which honors Native American Veterans opened in 2020 on the grounds of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. The memorial honors all the American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian veterans who have served in every branch of the U.S. Military since the American Revolution.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) recognizes not only those who served in the Revolutionary War but also those who provided aid and comfort. An example of this honor is Oneida Polly Cooper, who joined with other tribal members to supply food to Valley Forge during the harsh winter of 1777-1778.
The current NSDAR administration supported the new memorial with a donation of $10,000 from the National Society’s American Indian Fund. American Indians and Alaska Natives serve in the Armed Forces at five times the national average and have served with distinction in every major conflict for more than 200 years. They also have a higher concentration of women servicemembers than all other groups. Nearly 20 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives servicemembers were women, while 15.6 percent of all other servicemembers were women. According to the Department of Defense, more than 24,000 of the 1.2 million current and active duty servicemembers are Native Americans, and the 2010 Census identified more than 150,000 American Indian and Alaska Native veterans.
Finally, these men and women have a national memorial that recognizes their valor.
Known as the Warriors’ Circle of Honor, the memorial was designed by Harvey Pratt, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma. Mr. Pratt served in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine in Air Rescue and Security. The official dedication of the memorial will occur on Veterans’ Day of 2022.
You may visit the online exhibit, Why We Serve: Native Americans in the United States Armed Forces, at americanindian.si.edu.
Sharon McMahon
Chair, American Indians Committee
Horseshoe Prairie Chapter
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution