In 1921, Chief Plenty Coups closed the dedication ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. In a fitting tribute, this Veterans Day, his descendants were invited to open the centennial celebration.
In 1921, World War I veteran and Rep. Hamilton Fish of New York proposed the United States bring home one of its own unknown soldiers. Just as in France and Great Britain, the unidentifiable American Soldier would be buried in a place of honor, a place for all Americans to grieve loss and celebrate sacrifice.
As we round out Native American Heritage Day (the Friday after Thanksgiving), and Native American Heritage Month, we acknowledge that, from West to East in this country, Native American history is ever before us.