Memorial Honoring Native American U.S. Veterans proposed for Minnesota Capitol grounds
News | Published on March 25, 2025 at 3:16pm GMT+0000 | Author: Tucker Henderson
0Samantha Siedow
Report for Minnesota
A memorial to Native American military veterans could soon be erected on the grounds of the Minnesota Capitol under a bill that was advanced by a state Senate committee on Friday.
The measure authored by Sen. Mary Kunesh, DFL-New Brighton, would create a task force for establishing the memorial at the Capitol.
The 13 member task force would be appointed by the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs and include one veteran from each of Minnesota’s 11 federally recognized tribes.
Kunesh said she was inspired to author the bill by a trip to see the National Native American Veterans Memorial’s 2020 unveiling in Washington D.C.
Brandon Alkire, the legislative director for the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council testified in support of the bill at a Monday hearing.
As a Dakota citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Nation and a United States Navy veteran, Alkire said the memorial would not only honor the past but also address the lack of recognition Native American veterans currently receive.
“This is not just about honoring the past, it is about ensuring that young Native Americans see their ancestors remembered with dignity so that they may feel pride in their heritage and their contributions,” Alkire said.
Native Americans serve in the United States military at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, according to United Service Organizations, a federally established nonprofit. 19% of Native Americans serve per capita, compared to a national average of 14%.
Kunesh said recognizing Native American contributions is particularly important following the removal of military content related to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives under an executive order issued by President Donald Trump.
Websites containing information about the wartime contributions of Native American veterans including Navajo Code Talkers were among the removed content. While the Pentagon restored some web pages after outrage from Tribal Nations, thousands are still down.
According to Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren’s statement to the Associated Press, White House officials informed the Navajo Nation that an AI-powered review process, designed to detect DEI-related content, flagged and removed all mentions of the word “Navajo.”
“I think it’s even more important that we as a state recognize the pivotal role that our American Indians played in not only (World Wars I and II,) but the Korean War, the Vietnam War and today,” Kunesh said, referring to the federal action. “Our Native Americans continue to serve in all branches of the military, they represent a diverse and rich heritage, embody the values of courage, honor and duty, and their stories remind us that the fight for justice and equality extends beyond the battlefields.”
The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Veterans, Broadband and Rural Development approved the bill unanimously, referring it to the State and Local Government Committee for further discussion.
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