The jury appreciated the circle’s relevance
to all Native American cultures, reflected in the shape of a drum and suggesting gather- ings
for dance, storytelling and prayer. It
evokes the cycles of time and life as well as the movement of the stars and planets. As the jurors noted in their review, Pratt’s “concept of the circular nature of life makes individual veteran experiences and stories part of a col- lective, unified experience.” And Pratt says, “the circle represents the unity and the time- lessness of this design.”
A PLACE TO HEAL
One of the most daunting challenges NMAI faced in creating the National Native Ameri- can Veterans Memorial was finding a design that would be truly inclusive of and meaning- ful to all Native American veterans. Pratt’s de- sign, informed and inspired by his own expe- rience as a veteran and tribal citizen who has lived this tradition of service, accomplishes this beautifully. The memorial is a welcoming space for reflection and remembrance, and for honoring the sacrifices and service of genera- tions of Native veterans. Pratt has expressed his desire to create a
space that people will enter into rather than a statue or sculpture at which they can gaze. He says, “I want this to become a special, sacred place for people to come, a place for them to be healed.” The water pulsing across the surface of the drum is echoed by concentric rings in the stone of the walkways, suggesting the beat of a drum calling people to the circle. Designed to honor Native American veterans, the memorial is also intended to educate non- Native visitors about their sacrifices. Pratt says this is part of its purpose, to welcome people “to come there and be respectful of our ways,” adding, “Maybe this will help people see Na- tive people and realize we’re still here and very proud of this land.” He also hopes this will give visitors a place to come to remember the veterans they have lost. On November 11, 2020, NMAI will host
a virtual celebration to mark the memorial’s completion. When people can safely gather in person—hopefully by the next Veterans Day—NMAI will welcome all who wish to experience it and honor Native veterans. “This is a tremendously important effort to recognize Native Americans’ service to this nation. We have so much to celebrate,” says Campbell. X
Rebecca Head Trautmann is the project curator for the National Native American Veterans Memorial and an assistant curator of contemporary art at NMAI. For more information about the virtual opening of the memorial, visit
AmericanIndian.si.edu.
H
arvey Pratt, a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma and a Marine Corps veteran, almost didn’t submit his winning design for the National Native American Veterans Memorial. In spite of the recognition he’s earned for his artwork, he thought he would be outcompeted by the more
than 100 other artists and architects who participated. But then, as he recently revealed in an interview with NMAI’s cultural interpretation
manager Mandy Van Heuvelen (Mnicoujou Lakota/Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe), he was encouraged by another veteran and inspired by a dream. In the morning, he began to sketch a concept that would incorporate elements of wind, fire, water and earth and unite all Native visitors “through ceremony and the spirituality of Native American people.” Pratt says, “There are special places on this Earth that Indians go to, into the mountains and in the valleys. And so, I thought, you know, it has to be some place we go to. It has to be a destination.” Pratt brought not only his experience as a Native artist but as a Marine to the table.
Born in 1941, he grew up in El Reno, Oklahoma, a small town just west of Oklahoma City. He served in the Vietnam War in 1963 as part of a unit assigned to protect troops and recover pilots who had been shot down. After returning to civilian life, Pratt served as a police officer for Oklahoma’s
Midwest City Police Department. There, he created his first drawing that led to an arrest and conviction. In 1972, he joined the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and spent the next 30 years as an investigator. Upon retirement, he became a forensic artist, reconstructing faces of victims and culprits, aiding national and international law enforcement agencies in high profile cases such as the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995. Pratt still occasionally helps on cases and serves as a Cheyenne Peace Chief, but his
full-time passion is his art. He works in oil, acrylic, watercolors, metal, clay and wood. Among his favorite art topics are “history, tradition, truthfulness, tribulation and hu- manity’s essence.” Such themes are clearly reflected in his exceptional memorial design. Listen to Pratt’s entire interview on NMAI’s YouTube channel:
www.youtube. com/SmithsonianNMAI.
SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION 35
MEMORIAL DESIGNER AND VETERAN HARVEY PRATT
PHOTO BY ABRAHAM FARRAR
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