With the selection of a contractor and sub contractor, the dream of Charles “Snow Bear” Smith Jr.  of a memorial to honor Native American veterans at the Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery is coming together after months of planning.

A  project of Tomaquag Museum's Indigenous Empowerment Network, founded by Lorén Spears (Narragansett), a formal ground breaking with ceremonial ribbon cutting is planned for this spring. Spears said the placement of the monument stone will come first followed by the archway of field stones to be built by Craig Spears Masonry.

According to the Tomaquag website, the overall project is about $8,000 shy of its $62,000 goal, which Spears is confident will be attained.

Smith of Warwick, Cemetery Specialist at the RI Veterans Memorial Cemetery, is the founder of the Intertribal Monument Project. He is a member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe. His vision to create a monument honoring Native veterans came to him while walking the cemetery looking for the names of indigenous veterans. As he walked from grave to grave, what was lacking was a marker stone for their service.

A site for the monument, a field stone arch towering over a turtle symbol made of granite, bearing the words "Honoring Indigenous Veterans of Turtle Island" has been selected. The Turtle symbolizes Mother Earth.

 “Every nationality in the Rhode Island Veteran Cemetery has a memorial marker stone to commemorate their service that they gave their all for this country," Smith said. "Native Americans are the only group that does not have a memorial marker stone, so this is the reason why I founded the Intertribal Monument Project. I believe Native American veterans should be honored with a memorial at the Rhode Island Veterans Cemetery because, of all nationalities, they have fought in every war this country has ever been in. My father Charles Bruce Smith Sr. fought in three wars -World War II, Korea, and Vietnam." 

His father's military service is a large part of why Charles Jr. has a passion for honoring indigenous veterans. Smith Sr. served in WWII, The Korean War, and Vietnam. His military registration card is filled out just like everyone else's, but the back of the card tells a tale. A box is check-marked "Indian."

Smith’s dream resonated with Warwick Representative Camille Vella-Wilkinson. A veteran herself, Vella-Wilkinson secured a $25,000 legislative grant for the project. She has gone further to recognize the role of Native Americans She is the sponsor of legislation for state recognition of all tribes indigenous to Rhode Island. Currently the Narragansett Tribe is the only federally recognized tribe in the state.

In an interview Vella-Wilkinson said no tribes, not even the Narragansetts have state recognition. The measure failed to gain approval in 2022 and she has introduced it again this year.

“It is sad that the state has never given them (indigenous tribes) recognition.” She said the state would use the same procedure in identifying the tribes as used by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She said the legislation specifically rules out any right to establish a casino which, she said, caused confusion and contributed to the bill’s failure last year.

“This doesn’t cost the taxpayers anything and would open them (the tribes) to apply for federal grants,” she said.  As it stands now, Vella-Wilkinson said “millions of dollars went out of state” that could have been used to help people here and reduce dependence on state resources.

In a release, John Falcon Harris, tribal councilman of the Seaconke said, "The Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe and its members want to be recognized for the fact that our families have been part of this land and have served to protect this land for generations. We live in Massachusetts and are recognized there, but those of us who live in Rhode Island are not recognized."

Vella-Wilkinson is also supporting a bill up before the House this winter and early spring that recognizes the Seaconke Tribe for its historical presence in Rhode Island.

 The late Chief of the Seaconke Tribe, Willie Greene, served in the military, and the grandfather of the current Chief, Darrell Waldron, also has a military card on file with the back check-marked Indian. Primus Slocum, the ancestor of many in the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe, served in the famous Rhode Island 1st Regiment. He was a fifer and very proud of his service. He fought fiercely on the front lines for Rhode Island. 

According to a release, indigenous peoples throughout the country have some of the highest rates of military service per capita (more than any other ethnicity) but the least recognition. For many native veterans, that recognition is about honor and saying, "We are still here!" 

Those looking to support the monument by donating materials or seating, should reach out to: jhanis02 I 452@gmailcom or call (410)-781-1098 .