President Barack Obama signed H.R.2319, the Native American Veterans' Memorial Amendments Act of 2013, into law on Thursday.

The bill authorizes the National Museum of the American Indian to raise funds and start work on a memorial for American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian veterans. The memorial will be located on the museum's property on the National Mall.

The House passed the bill on December 11 by a vote of 398 to 0. The Senate approved it by unanimous consent on December 20.

“I have heard from people I represent and from outside our district that the construction of this memorial means a great deal to Native Americans who served this nation and to their families,” Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), a member of the Cherokee Nation who co-sponsored the bill, said in a press release. “It is important that we properly honor these brave soldiers and tell their stories for generations to come.”

An Opinion:
Editorial: And furthermore ... Native American Veterans Memorial (The Tulsa World 7/27)

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