What to know about the National Native American Veterans Memorial, devised by an Oklahoman

Harvey Pratt's grandpa referred to Native Americans as "circle people."

"He said, 'We live in circles that are timeless: We have the seasons and the life cycles.' ... I'd think about that a lot as I was growing up," Pratt said.

"I hope the symbols in this memorial are timeless, too. ... If my grandfather came back and walked through life and he went up there, he would recognize those things. People today recognize those symbols, my grandchildren recognize those symbols — and their grandchildren, when they go there, they'll recognize the symbols.

"So, it goes back to the past, the present and the future."

Two years after the National Native American Veterans Memorial was completed, it's especially symbolic that Pratt called his design for the Washington, D.C., landmark the “Warrior’s Circle of Honor." Since the 2020 opening ceremony was scrapped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guthrie-based Cheyenne and Arapaho artist is circling back to the National Mall to see the monument finally officially dedicated this weekend as part of a three-day celebration of Native veterans.

The festivities start Friday, which is Veterans Day, with a procession expected to draw thousands of Native veterans and their families to the new memorial on the grounds of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian.

"This is something really special," said Pratt, a Vietnam War veteran, his voice thickening with emotion. "I'm really excited about it. It's just almost an unbelievable dream that this all happened and I was a part of it. It's just really hard for me to wrap my brain around it, even though I've been working on it since 2017."

Here are five things you need to know about the National Native American Veterans Memorial:

1. How was Harvey Pratt chosen to design the memorial?

Congress originally commissioned a national memorial for Native American veterans in 1994, a decade before the National Museum of the American Indian opened.

In 2014, museum staffers began conceptualizing the project, and in 2017, they launched an international design competition that drew more than 400 entries from five continents.  

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An internationally known painter, sculptor and forensic artist, Pratt retired in 2017 as the forensic artist for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation after a more-than-50-year career in law enforcement. The El Reno native was urged by a fellow Cheyenne-Arapaho veteran to enter the contest.

In 2018, the submissions were narrowed to five finalists, including Pratt and the Oklahoma-based team of Native American artists Daniel SaSuWeh Jones (Ponca) and Enoch Kelly Haney (Seminole). Pratt’s “Warrior’s Circle of Honor” was selected as the winning design, and work began on bringing the long-awaited memorial to the National Mall. 

“Harvey’s realized vision for the memorial exceeded the lofty objectives set forth for this high-profile project, so we are extremely pleased it is receiving its long-awaited dedication," said Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Amber Sharples in an email.

"The memorial is timeless and stirring, and it more than holds its own among the impressive company of memorials on the National Mall. It is a crowning achievement in an already impactful career."

2. What does the memorial look like and what symbols are featured in it?

The “Warrior’s Circle of Honor” design has as its focal point an elevated stainless-steel circle that symbolizes the cycles of life and death as well as unity among Native veterans.

The 12-foot diameter circle is set on an intricately carved stone drum with water flowing over it. An outer wall encompassing the drum and circle provides some privacy for the benches inside, and towering lances give visitors a place to leave prayer ties or other special items. 

"I didn't want it to be a statue or waterfall. I wanted it to be someplace that you could go in and participate and be interactive," Pratt said. "It's a destination … and not a shortcut going across the park or to get to another place."

3. Which other Oklahomans helped create the memorial?

A Cheyenne peace chief, Pratt had to assemble a team of architects, engineers and contractors to build his “Warriors’ Circle.” He recruited Oklahoma City architects Hans and Torrey Butzer, who have earned international acclaim for their work on the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

The team also included Oklahoma firms Obelisk Engineering and Guernsey Engineers, as well as out-of-state companies that employ Oklahoma talents. Pratt chose his wife, Gina Pratt, and his son and fellow artist, Nathan Pratt, to work on the project, too.

"There were 30-some approval agencies before we could actually get started on the groundbreaking," Pratt said. "But the Smithsonian told me that it is the only memorial that has ever finished on time."

4. What has been the response to the memorial so far?

The memorial is the first national landmark in Washington, D.C., to focus on the contributions of American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians who have served in the military. Natives have served in every major U.S. military conflict since the Revolutionary War.

The project has been widely supported by tribal governments and tribal veterans organizations, as well as by individuals, corporations and foundations, with major supporters including the Oklahoma-based Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes and Chickasaw Nation.

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Although the dedication ceremony and veterans procession were delayed until 2022 due to the pandemic, Pratt and his wife quietly made the trip to Washington, D.C., in fall 2020 for the memorial's debut. 

"There were some Northern Cheyennes and some Siouxes that were there: They had a ceremony, and they were singing. Then, some Hawaiian group showed up, and they made blessings and they made prayers and hung prayer cloths on the lances," Pratt recalled.

"I said, 'Oh, my gosh, they're doing exactly what we hoped that they would do': to come here, to do ceremonies and to educate and show non-Native people that Native people are still here and that we have an influence over what is happening."

5. What is planned for the memorial dedication?

About 5,000 people are expected to attend the memorial's dedication, according to a Smithsonian spokeswoman. More than 1,700 Native veterans have registered to take part in the procession, which will start at 1 p.m. Friday and travel along the National Mall from the National Museum of the American Indian to the ceremony stage in front of the U.S. Capitol.

Both the procession and the 3 p.m. dedication ceremony will be live-streamed at https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/washington/nnavm.

Among the Oklahomans who will participate are 14 Cherokee veterans who served during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War or Operation Enduring Freedom who were to depart Thursday on the Cherokee Nation’s seventh annual Cherokee Warrior Flight to Washington, D.C. 

“Cherokees serve in the U.S. military at greater per-capita rates than any other ethnicities,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in an email. “This trip is dedicated to the men and women who have fought to preserve our collective freedoms in this country, and to show our gratitude for their service.”

The festivities will continue Saturday and Sunday and include music and cultural performances, a short film series and a "Meet the Memorial Designer" session with Pratt.

The National Museum of the American Indian is raising money for a $5 million endowment for the memorial's upkeep and for ongoing programming about Native veterans.

An estimated 32 million visitors from around the world visit the National Mall and Memorial Parks each year, according to the National Parks Service, which means plenty of people will have the chance to find Pratt's "Warrior's Circle of Honor."

"It's been a long, hard ride — and it's not over. ... I've got to do stuff with the Library of Congress; I've got to do stuff with the patent office," he said. "But it's all positive, and I'm just happy. Honestly, I'm just still amazed because I'm involved in this."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: National Native American Veterans Memorial by Oklahoman to be dedicated