"NAIV is recognized by NCAI (National Congress of American Indians) and NASDVA (National Association of State Directors of Veterans Affairs) as the 'Voice of the American Indian Veteran.'

Therefore, by unanimous vote, the National Executive Board of NAIV, Inc. strongly endorses this project as a national honor to American Indian Veterans who have served and died for this nation since it's founding -- while at the same time struggling to uphold the dignity and traditions of our native peoples.

 

Please accept this endorsement on behalf of all Indigenous Indian and Alaska Native veterans as well as veterans of Hawaii and American Samoa. We are honored and look forward to the actual dedication of this sacred site."

 

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Donald E. Loudner (Hunkpati Sioux), CW4 (US ARMY, RET)

National Commander, National American Indian Veterans, Inc.

Excerpt from endorsement letter to Brigadier General Stan Brown, Feb. 2006

The Riverside National Cemetery (Riverside County, CA) is home to several existing national memorials including the Medal of Honor Memorial, the Veterans Memorial, and the POW/MIA Memorial. It encompasses nearly 1,000 acres,  is the third largest in terms of total land designated for use in the nation, and is the most active by numbers of interments than any other national cemetery.

 

The proposed American Indian Veterans Monument will be the first national memorial to specifically honor the unprecedented service of American Indian and Alaska Native veterans at any of our nation’s cemeteries.

 

Riverside National Cemetery is the only national cemetery in the National Cemetery System that has an established Memorial & Monuments Committee which works directly with the community and veterans organizations.