New memorial to Native American veterans opens on the National Mall

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Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/11/12/new-memorial-to-native-american-veterans-opens-on-the-national-mall.html

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It would be great if the memorial was paired with an announcement that the CDC or BIA was deploying significant resources to combat Covid on reservations. The reservations in the Dakotas are in serious crisis right now, and as isolated as they are from population and healthcare centers, this winter has the potential to be disastrous.

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That looks really nice.

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Maybe it’s just me, but I think cash money, construction, and infrastructure for Native American reparations would have been more appreciated.

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nothing, technically, stops both. it’s not like there was a choice between the two out there. ( and this is probably? funded mostly out of existing budgets and standard fundraising channels. )

the more cynical take is why native americans serve at such high rates, and the answer id guess is because there have been no honest attempts at reparations.

some reservations are extremely poor, and just like many rural americans of all backgrounds - serving in the military is the only way to get a leg up.

the military is america’s greatest socialist experiment. plowing money into an endless empty pit to give people jobs, education, to put food on the table

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This.

Recognition, restitution, and reform are all important, and are not zero-sum.

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According to the FAQ:

The legislation from Congress did not allow for any federal funding to be used for the construction of the memorial. Funding for the memorial came from individuals, organizations, and Native Nations. We gratefully acknowledge their generosity and commitment to the National Native American Veterans Memorial project.

Source:

Also, recognition is nice.

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Both are needed. Even if it isn’t as tangible, it is important and necessary to recognize the contributions of marginalized populations. Invisibility reinforces discrimination.

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