Traci Kratzer
Record Gazette Staff Writer

To honor the men and woman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians who have served in the armed forces, several members of the tribal community and dignitaries from the city and county level gathered on Veterans Day to celebrate the unveiling of a new memorial in the courtyard of the tribe's administrative complex.

This is the first known national memorial to tribal veterans in the country, according to the tribe.

"American Indians have fought and died for this country since the Revolution and yet there is no national memorial in the United States that recognizes their service or the ultimate price they paid in defense of the nation," said Morongo Tribal Vice Chairman Maurice Lyons, who spearheaded the effort on behalf of the Tribal Council.

The memorial features five columns representing each branch of the military and one representing the tribe, encircling a water fountain. The circle holds a great significance in American culture as many tribal rituals are held in a circle. Each column has a cast aluminum band with a weave pattern as a representation of the Morongo tribe's heritage of basket weaving. Topping the memorial is an eagle, a national symbol, which is closely associated with the military and American Indian culture.

"We felt that we should have our own veteran's memorial so that our young people could learn from and take pride in the sacrifices of their fellow tribal members," Lyons said. "As the 'first American,' defending this nation is defending the land that is our heritage."

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