We are a nation of patriots who believe in the United States, its democracy, and our responsibility to preserve it for future generations. We acknowledge those who have served in the armed forces as the greatest patriots of all. Though we celebrate those who dedicate themselves to defending our nation, many Americans are unaware of the exceptional service performed by American Indian, Native Hawaiian, and Alaska Native veterans.
Veterans Day has always brought the unimaginable scope of war to a human scale. The day invites us to remember our history, to honor both those who served recently and those who served long ago. And it asks us to consider what service means in our own lives.
As a national museum complex, the Smithsonian has a unique responsibility to honor our veterans. And this November, the Smithsonian celebrates Veterans Day by marking the completion of the National Native American Veterans Memorial at the National Museum of the American Indian. Native peoples have served in the United States military since the American Revolution and continue to serve at one of the highest rates per capita of any population group. As commissioned by Congress, the memorial will recognize—for the first time on a national scale—the extraordinary service of these men and women and our shared obligation to honor this legacy.
Join us online this Veterans Day—November 11—at 11 a.m. Eastern time, when the museum will mark the completion of the memorial with a brief ceremony and virtual tour. When it is safe to do so, the museum will host the memorial's dedication and the procession to honor Native veterans and their families.
To learn more about the memorial, the program November 11, and how to visit the memorial after that date, see AmericanIndian.si.edu/visit/washington/nnavm.
(Information courtesy Smithsonian Magazine article by Lonnie G. Bunch III and National Museum of the American Indians, Smithsonian.)
